Merida Tapaculo
Scytalopus meridanus
A tiny, secretive bird of the Venezuelan Andes, plain and dark with a short tail. In good view, mostly plain dark gray with brown, barred belly, more prominent in female. Juvenile mostly brown and markedly barred. Difficult to see as it scurries near the ground in bamboo thickets in cloud forest. Varied vocalizations; like most tapaculos, heard far more often than seen. Two other species of tapaculo occur in range: Blackish Tapaculo is black rather than gray; White-crowned Tapaculo is darker and has a conspicuous white crown; both separable by voice. Endemic to the Venezuelan Andes from Táchira to Lara.
识别特征
The Mérida tapaculo is 10.5 to 11.5 cm (4.1 to 4.5 in) long and weighs 13.5 to 16.5 g (0.48 to 0.58 oz). The male's upper body is dark gray washed with brown; the rump and wings are brown. The throat, breast, and belly are paler gray and the flanks and crissum (the area around the cloaca) tawny with faint darker bars. The female is generally paler but the brown wash of the upper body is darker and the tawny flanks brighter. The juvenile is overall brown, darker above and lighter below, with barred underparts. The adult "Lara" subspecies has minor plumage differences from the nominate but they are thought to be age related.
分类信息
The Mérida tapaculo was previously considered a subspecies of brown-rumped tapaculo (Scytalopus latebricola) but was elevated to species rank based on differences in their vocalizations. Two subspecies are currently (2021) recognized, the nominate S. meridanus meridanus and the "Lara" S. m. fuscicauda. The latter was at one time classed as a subspecies of Magellanic tapaculo (S. magellanicus) and has also been considered a separate species, "Lara tapaculo". It might even be conspecific with S. a. meridanus and not a subspecies.
- 学名
- Scytalopus meridanus
- 命名信息
- Hellmayr, 1922
- 目
- Passeriformes
- 科
- Rhinocryptidae
- 属
- Scytalopus
分布与栖息地
The Mérida tapaculo is found only in the Andes of Venezuela. The nominate subspecies is more southerly, in Mérida and Táchira States, while the "Lara" subspecies is north of it in Lara and Trujillo States. It inhabits the undergrowth and edges of humid montane forest. It is found in Chusquea bamboo but does not prefer it. The nominate subspecies is found mostly from 2,200 to 4,000 m (7,200 to 13,100 ft) elevation while the "Lara" subspecies is found lower, from 1,600 to 3,200 m (5,200 to 10,500 ft).
- 迁徙
- Resident species
行为
Migration pattern: Resident species.
保护状况
Population trend: stable.
- 种群趋势
- stable
照片
分布
鸟叫声
其他鸟类
Southern Red Bishop
Euplectes orix
A small, dumpy sparrow-like weaver. The breeding male is a mix of velvety vermilion and black; the narrow black forecrown is diagnostic. The female and non-breeding male are nondescript, with a short tail and strong buff eyebrow, and are difficult to tell apart from other bishops. Pairs and small flocks are always close to water when breeding, and mixed-species colonies occur in reedbeds and swampy grassland, but they disperse into adjacent scrub in the non-breeding season, often in flocks. The song is an extended fizzling sizzle. Breeding males of other red bishop species either have no black forehead, or have a much more extensive black crown.
Bare-faced Go-away-bird
Crinifer personatus
Unusual gray turaco with a bushy crest and a mostly white head and breast. Found in moist savanna, woodland, shrubby cultivation, and gardens. Usually in small groups. Loud and vocal. The calls are a single hollow “khweow” and a maniacal series of cackles and whines given by multiple birds in chorus. Similar in shape to White-bellied Go-away-bird and Eastern Plantain-eater, but easily separated by the white collar and lack of white in the wings and tail.
Black-backed Swamphen
Porphyrio indicus
A large, brightly colored inhabitant of marshes, meadows, and mangroves. Combination of blue body and bright red bill and legs is unmistakable. Can be quite shy, but size and color make it unmistakable when it emerges from vegetation. Like many other rails, gives a range of call notes, including rattles, squeaks, and grunts. Very similar to the closely-related Gray-headed Swamphen, with which its range overlap is minimal; exact identifying factors are unclear but has a generally darker body.
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