Scytalopus robbinsi
The El Oro Tapaculo (Scytalopus robbinsi) is a remarkably elusive and critically endangered suboscine passerine, measuring approximately 11 cm in length and weighing around 18-20 grams. Its plumage is predominantly sooty-gray, with contrasting rufous-brown flanks finely barred with black, a key field mark for this otherwise indistinct bird. As a member of the Rhinocryptidae family, it exhibits the characteristic skulking, terrestrial behavior of tapaculos, often described as a 'mouse with win...
Found exclusively in humid, dense montane cloud forests and very wet forest edges, inhabiting the dark, tangled understory of both primary and mature secondary growth. It occurs at elevations primarily between 600 and 1200 meters above sea level.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a variety of small invertebrates including insects, spiders, and their larvae. Forages by gleaning from the forest floor and low-lying vegetation.
The El Oro Tapaculo is a highly secretive, diurnal species, rarely venturing from the safety of dense ground cover. It forages by hopping through the leaf litter and low vegetation, meticulously gleaning invertebrates from moss, bark, and foliage close to the ground. Males are intensely territori...
The El Oro Tapaculo is strictly endemic to a severely restricted region of southwestern Ecuador, primarily within the provinces of El Oro, Azuay, and Loja. Its known distribution is confined to the western slopes of the Andes, specifically within the humid montane cloud forests and very wet fores...
Critically Endangered
- The El Oro Tapaculo was only scientifically described in 1987, making it a relatively recent discovery in the world of ornithology. - It is named after Chandler S. Robbins, a highly influential American ornithologist and conservationist. - This species is endemic to an incredibly small range, f...