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Chucao Tapaculo

Scelorchilus rubecula
(Kittlitz, FH, 1830)
Chucao

Family: Rhinocryptidae
Order: Passeriformes
Class: Aves
Phylum / Division: Chordata
Kingdom: Animalia

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Conservation status according to BirdLife International: Least Concern

Synonyms: Pteroptochos rubecula.

Subspecies:


Description: Black beak and brown iris, with a general olive-brown coloration, featuring a striking reddish bib covering the neck and throat, a thin eyebrow of the same color passing behind the eyes and extending to a small portion above the beak. It has a fine white barring on the chest and a barely marked periocular of the same color.

Sexual Dimorphism: Same sexes.

Habitat: Inhabits dense vegetation in the humid forests of the south.

Behavior: Curious, active, it is common to see it running through the fallen leaves and branches of the forest at high speed, making it hard to spot, but if one stays still and silent, it is very likely to approach to investigate, where it becomes easier to observe. When it perches on a low branch, it does so with its tail erect.

Song: A powerful scream, heard from a great distance, which it repeats at intervals possibly to communicate with others. Whenever one screams, another can be heard responding from afar (Kovacs, 2005). The name “Chucao” is onomatopoeic, derived from the territorial cry it emits (Costa et al., 2012).

Nesting: Nests in holes that it digs itself in white soil ravines, where it lays a maximum of three white eggs.

Feeding: Feeds on small invertebrates that it searches for by scratching the soil and leaf litter of the forest with its feet.

Authors of this description: Diego Oscar

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Last published photographs

Foto
Photography ID: 138765
  Adult

Lago Gutierrez
Río Negro
Argentina
02/18/2016
Diana Weyland
Foto
Photography ID: 77216
  Adult

Lago Nahuel Huapi
Río Negro
Argentina
01/15/2015
Diana Weyland



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Page 1
Record IDDateExact timeCountryProvince / departmentPlaceFilmedPhotographedRecorded vocalObservedHeardWounded or deadNumber of individualsUser or BibliographyDetail
40471718/02/2016ArgentinaRío NegroCosta del lago, Lago GutierrezDiana Weyland
40224711/02/2016ArgentinaRío NegroCamino al Refugio Frei, San Carlos de Bariloche1Diana Weyland
25040620/02/2015ChileRegión de Los LagosRuta entre Ancud y Puñihuil, ChiloéDiana Weyland
22620615/01/2015ArgentinaRío NegroLago Nahuel HuapiDiana Weyland
22482812/01/2015ArgentinaRío NegroBase del Cerro CatedralDiana Weyland
12183707/03/2014ArgentinaRío NegroLago steffenDiana Weyland
11656725/02/2014ArgentinaRío NegroRuta Los rápidos Cascada de Los AlercesDiana Weyland
11559622/02/2014ArgentinaRío NegroCañadón de la MoscaDiana Weyland
11571721/02/2014ArgentinaRío NegroCabecera sur, Lago GutierrezDiana Weyland
11385015/02/2014ArgentinaRío NegroLlao LlaoDiana Weyland
Page 1

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Bibliography related


Artículo Costa M., R. Moller Jensen Y Otros. 2011. Proyecto Freebirds Guía de las Aves. <http://www.freebirds.com.ar>.

Artículo Kovacs, C. J., O. Kovacs, Z. Kovacs, C. M. Kovacs. 2005. Manual ilustrado de las aves de la Patagonia: Antártida Argentina e Islas del Atlántico Sur. Carlos Kovacs; Ors Kovacs; Zsolt Kovacs – 1ed – El Bolsón, 368 págs.



Citation recommended:

EcoRegistros. 2026. Chucao Tapaculo (Scelorchilus rubecula) - Species sheet. Acceded from https://www.ecoregistros.org on 30/03/2026.