Birds · Passeriformes · Rhinocryptidae
Chucao Tapaculo
Scelorchilus rubecula
Least Concern
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk.
The chucao tapaculo is a plump, confiding bird of the understorey of the Valdivian forest, with an intensely orange breast and a brown back. It moves along the ground among the quila bamboo and ferns looking for invertebrates, and often approaches walkers rather than fleeing. Its song, powerful and explosive, is one of the most characteristic sounds of the Chilean temperate forest. It is a good indicator of native forest quality: it disappears from small fragments.
Weight
35 g – 45 g
Size
18 cm – 19 cm
Life expectancy
8 years
