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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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Records from Chubut

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: 639404
 
Esquel
Chubut
Argentina
03/01/2020
Gustavo Marasco
Foto
Photography ID: 632399
  Adult

Parque Nacional Los Alerces
Chubut
Argentina
04/15/2025
Eduardo Militello
Foto
Photography ID: 574233
  Adult

Parque Nacional Los Alerces
Chubut
Argentina
01/16/2024
Max Uranga
Foto
Photography ID: 572450
  Adult

Parque Nacional Los Alerces
Chubut
Argentina
01/16/2024
Santos Uranga
Foto
Photography ID: 572448
  Adult

Parque Nacional Los Alerces
Chubut
Argentina
01/16/2024
Santos Uranga
Foto
Photography ID: 537355
  Adult

Parque Nacional Los Alerces
Chubut
Argentina
01/07/2017
Martín Lépez
Foto
Photography ID: 533033
  Adult

Parque Nacional Los Alerces
Chubut
Argentina
01/09/2023
Andrés Cecconi
Foto
Photography ID: 532992
  Adult

Parque Nacional Lago Puelo
Chubut
Argentina
01/04/2023
Andrés Cecconi
Foto
Photography ID: 529036
  Adult

Parque Nacional Los Alerces
Chubut
Argentina
03/22/2023
Julián Tocce
Foto
Photography ID: 524804
  Adult

Parque Nacional Los Alerces
Chubut
Argentina
01/27/2023
Diego Alfonso Rosa
Foto
Photography ID: 480172
  Adult

Parque Nacional Los Alerces
Chubut
Argentina
01/22/2022
Daniel Acosta



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Last Vocalizations published



Audio playerUserDateCountryProvincePlaceSexLife stageIt was observedDetails
Diego Oscar01/08/2021ArgentinaChubutParque Nacional Los AlercesN/AN/AYesNo



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Last Filmings published




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 Reports


 Detail of places sorted by number of records








Page 1
Record IDDateExact timeCountryProvince / departmentPlaceFilmedPhotographedRecorded vocalObservedHeardWounded or deadNumber of individualsUser or BibliographyDetail
237940123/10/2025ArgentinaChubutSendero a Puerto Chucao, Río Arrayanes., Parque Nacional Los AlercesNicolas Olejnik
228121215/04/2025ArgentinaChubutSeccional Lago Verde, Parque Nacional Los AlercesEduardo Militello
220576906/12/2024ArgentinaChubutVía Sin Nombre1Gustavo Fernando Durán
203045714/04/2024ArgentinaChubutÁrea Represa Futaleufu, Parque Nacional Los AlercesAdrian Braidotti
203040614/04/2024ArgentinaChubutparque nacional los Alerces, EsquelAdrian Braidotti
198088226/02/2024ArgentinaChubutparque nacional los Alerces, EsquelDolores Fernandez
208056313/02/2024ArgentinaChubutPN Los Alerces--Lago Rivadavia Camping Bah??a Sol??s, Futaleuf?1Kenneth Roberts
208056212/02/2024ArgentinaChubutPN Los Alerces--Lago Rivadavia Camping Bah??a Sol??s, Futaleuf?2Kenneth Roberts
206989712/02/2024ArgentinaChubutPN Los Alerces--Lago Rivadavia Camping Bahía Solís, Futaleufú2Ralph Roberts
208056111/02/2024ArgentinaChubutPN Los Alerces--Lago Rivadavia Camping Bah??a Sol??s, Futaleuf?1Kenneth Roberts
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 11/04/2026.