How do you identify a Magellanic Tapaculo?

It is a wren-like bird, 10 to 12 cm in length. Full identification notes are on this page.

How big is a Magellanic Tapaculo?

The Magellanic Tapaculo is a tiny sized bird weighing about 14 g.

Where can you see a Magellanic Tapaculo?

The Magellanic Tapaculo occurs in 3 countries, including Chile, Argentina and Colombia.

What does a Magellanic Tapaculo sound like?

You can listen to a field recording of the Magellanic Tapaculo on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.

What birds look similar to a Magellanic Tapaculo?

The Magellanic Tapaculo is most easily confused with the Spillmann's Tapaculo, the Narino Tapaculo and the Silvery-fronted Tapaculo.

Is the Magellanic Tapaculo endangered?

The Magellanic Tapaculo is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Magellanic Tapaculo

Scytalopus magellanicus

Tapaculos · Passeriformes · Uncommon

The Magellanic Tapaculo (Scytalopus magellanicus) is a uncommon tapaculo found in 3 countries, weighing about 14 g. The Magellanic tapaculo is a small passerine bird in the tapaculo family Rhinocryptidae that is found in southern South America.

Least ConcernUncommonEats invertebratesforestcavity nest14 g

Magellanic Tapaculo (Scytalopus magellanicus), photo 1 — Photo: Ricardo Barrientos · http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Magellanic Tapaculo (Scytalopus magellanicus), photo 2 — Photo: Ricardo Barrientos · http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Magellanic Tapaculo (Scytalopus magellanicus), photo 3 — Photo: Eric Schmidt · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Magellanic Tapaculo (Scytalopus magellanicus), photo 4 — Photo: Eric Schmidt · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Magellanic Tapaculo (Scytalopus magellanicus), photo 5 — Photo: Eric Schmidt · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Magellanic Tapaculo (Scytalopus magellanicus), photo 6 — Photo: Eric Schmidt · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Magellanic Tapaculo (Scytalopus magellanicus), photo 7 — Photo: Eric Schmidt · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Magellanic Tapaculo (Scytalopus magellanicus), photo 8 — Photo: Ezequiel Vera · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Magellanic Tapaculo (Scytalopus magellanicus), photo 9 — Photo: Ezequiel Vera · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Magellanic Tapaculo (Scytalopus magellanicus), photo 10 — Photo: Ezequiel Vera · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

About the Magellanic Tapaculo

The Magellanic tapaculo is a small passerine bird in the tapaculo family Rhinocryptidae that is found in southern South America.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

How to identify it

It is a wren-like bird, 10 to 12 cm in length. The bill is slender and black while the legs are pinkish and fairly long. The tail is short and held erect. The plumage is dark-grey with a chestnut tinge to the flanks, undertail and wings. Some birds have a silvery-white patch on the crown. Juvenile birds are brown with dark barring and usually lack white on the crown. The song is loud, staccato and repetitive.

What the Magellanic Tapaculo sounds like

Recording: Alex Toledo · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

Where it lives

Chile Argentina Colombia

When to see it

Best months: January, February, March, April, May, July, August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in October. It is a resident species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

How do you identify a Magellanic Tapaculo?: It is a wren-like bird, 10 to 12 cm in length. Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is a Magellanic Tapaculo?: The Magellanic Tapaculo is a tiny sized bird weighing about 14 g.
Where can you see a Magellanic Tapaculo?: The Magellanic Tapaculo occurs in 3 countries, including Chile, Argentina and Colombia.
What does a Magellanic Tapaculo sound like?: You can listen to a field recording of the Magellanic Tapaculo on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
What birds look similar to a Magellanic Tapaculo?: The Magellanic Tapaculo is most easily confused with the Spillmann's Tapaculo, the Narino Tapaculo and the Silvery-fronted Tapaculo.
Is the Magellanic Tapaculo endangered?: The Magellanic Tapaculo is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Magellanic Tapaculo for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

Play BeakBrain

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