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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: 20064
  Adult

Parque Nacional Los Alerces
Chubut
Argentina
11/20/2012
Esteban Argerich
Foto
Photography ID: 10378
  Adult

San Martin de los Andes
Neuquén
Argentina
11/25/2011
Esteban Argerich



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 Reports


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Page 1
Record IDDateExact timeCountryProvince / departmentPlaceFilmedPhotographedRecorded vocalObservedHeardWounded or deadNumber of individualsUser or BibliographyDetail
87638229/01/2019ArgentinaRío NegroCerro Catedral, San Carlos de Bariloche2Esteban Argerich
87515827/01/2019ArgentinaRío NegroRuta 80, San Carlos de BarilocheEsteban Argerich
87454626/01/2019ArgentinaRío Negroisla victoria, San Carlos de BarilocheEsteban Argerich
87411325/01/2019ArgentinaRío NegroPampa LindaEsteban Argerich
87316524/01/2019ArgentinaRío Negromanso inferiorEsteban Argerich
87232221/01/2019ArgentinaRío NegroRuta 80, San Carlos de BarilocheEsteban Argerich
84423412/11/2018ArgentinaNeuquénLago QuillenEsteban Argerich
64556517/11/2017ArgentinaNeuquénLago VillarinoEsteban Argerich
64551414/11/2017ArgentinaNeuquénLago HermosoEsteban Argerich
64545411/11/2017ArgentinaNeuquénLago HermosoEsteban Argerich
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 29/03/2026.