Bird Guide

Choco Tapaculo vs Rusty-belted Tapaculo

Choco Tapaculo (Scytalopus chocoensis)

Choco Tapaculo

Scytalopus chocoensis

Small20 gForest

The Chocó tapaculo is 11 cm (4.3 in) long. Males weigh 19 to 22.5 g (0.67 to 0.79 oz) and females 17 to 20.1 g (0.60 to 0.71 oz). The male's mantle is dark gray, its lower back gray with a brown wash, and the rump dark brown with dusky bars. It is lighter gray below to the lower belly, which is reddish-brown with dark bars. The female is similar but the brownish wash extends to the head. The throat is lighter gray than the upper breast; the lower belly sometimes has a yellowish wash. The juvenile's upper parts are drab brown but for the dark brown rump; it appears barred below. Voice: The Chocó tapaculo's song is "a very resonant series 5-60 seconds long...the first few notes often slightly lower-pitched and delivered at a faster rate" . The call is a series of short sharp notes .

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Choco Tapaculo
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Song · Esmeraldas: 7 km WNW Lita, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Michael Bakker Paiva · CC BY 4.0
Rusty-belted Tapaculo (Liosceles thoracicus)

Rusty-belted Tapaculo

Liosceles thoracicus

Small40 gForest

The rusty-belted tapaculo is 19.5 cm (7.7 in) long and weighs 39 to 42 g (1.4 to 1.5 oz). Its plumage is unlike that of any other tapaculo. The nominate subspecies has a grayish brown head with a white supercilium and a reddish brown back, wings, and rump. The throat is white with black streaks at the side, most of the breast is white, and the flanks and vent are barred with black, brown, and white. The upper breast has a yellow to orange brown band the gives the species its common name. Subspecies L. t. erithacus is browner on the head and the breast band is larger and darker. Subspecies L.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Rusty-belted Tapaculo
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Song · Sucumbíos: 'La Selva Jungle Lodge', n bank Río Napo, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Christoph Moning · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

Learn this pair in the BeakBrain App

Photo and call practice. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.

Play today's Daily Bird

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Choco Tapaculo and Rusty-belted Tapaculo.