Ocellated Tapaculo
Encyclopedia
The Ocellated Tapaculo (Acropternis orthonyx) is a large bird found in the northern Andes
in South America
. It is a highly distinctive tapaculo
; traditionally united with its closest relatives in the Rhinocryptidae, this family
is paraphyletic with the Formicariidae
(ground-antbirds) but instead of merging the tapaculos with the ground-antbird family, recent sources tend to split the antpittas from the Formicariidae.
This passerine
averages 8.3-8.7 in (21–22 cm) in length and between 2.8-3.5 oz (80 and 100 gram). The bird is mostly black with large white spots, a brown flank, and a reddish head and throat. A call, apparently given by birds to announce their presence to conspecifics, is described as "loud, emphatic WHEEUW! whistle" which as it seems can be heard from a long distance.
It is sometimes divided into two subspecies
: Acropternis orthonyx infuscata is found in the mountains of Ecuador
and northern Peru
. The nominate subspecies A. o. orthonyx ranges further north, from the Cordillera Central and Cordillera Oriental of Colombia
to the mountains of northwestern Venezuela
, with small populations also present in the Cordillera Occidental (in Antioquia and the Páramo de Frontino at least). It is not usually found on the Amazonian slope of the East Colombian and Venezuelan mountains it inhabits; on the Cordillera Oriental it is only known so far in a few places between 8,200-10,000 ft (2,500-3,000 m) ASL
. The northern and southern populations are barely distinguishable and many authors accept no subspecies at all.
It favors humid and rather low-growing forest with canopy
heights of about 50–80 ft (15–25 m). Dominant trees can include for example Brunellia
, Hieronyma
rufa (Phyllanthaceae
), Ocotea
calophylla (Lauraceae
), oak
s (Quercus), glorytrees (Tibouchina) and Weinmannia
, usually heavily overgrown with epiphyte
s. More important is the presence of a tangled understory
with abundant stands of South American mountain bamboo (Chusquea), forming an impenetrable thicket together with other plants such as Geonoma
weberbaueri palms or Ericaceae
shrubs. Due to its dependence on bamboo thickets which only grow in clearings it seems to tolerate selective logging well and may actually benefit from it.
The Ocellated Tapaculo eats plant material and arthropod
s, which it digs up using both feet simultaneously. It is usually encountered in pairs or alone, hopping through bamboo along the forest floor. Preferring to stay close to the ground, it is more often heard than seen. It is possible to attract Ocellated Tapaculos with recorded or imitated calls, which they will approach to investigate from several kilometers away. Though shy and retiring and affected by habitat destruction
like all forest birds of the tropical Americas, it is common enough to be considered a Species of Least Concern
by the IUCN.
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. It is a highly distinctive tapaculo
Tapaculo
The tapaculos are a group of small suboscine passeriform birds with numerous species, found mainly in South America and with the highest diversity in the Andean regions...
; traditionally united with its closest relatives in the Rhinocryptidae, this family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
is paraphyletic with the Formicariidae
Formicariidae
The Formicariidae, formicariids, or ground antbirds are a family of smallish passerine birds of subtropical and tropical Central and South America. They are between 10 and 20 cm in length, and are related to the antbirds, Thamnophilidae, and gnateaters, Conopophagidae...
(ground-antbirds) but instead of merging the tapaculos with the ground-antbird family, recent sources tend to split the antpittas from the Formicariidae.
This passerine
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
averages 8.3-8.7 in (21–22 cm) in length and between 2.8-3.5 oz (80 and 100 gram). The bird is mostly black with large white spots, a brown flank, and a reddish head and throat. A call, apparently given by birds to announce their presence to conspecifics, is described as "loud, emphatic WHEEUW! whistle" which as it seems can be heard from a long distance.
It is sometimes divided into two subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
: Acropternis orthonyx infuscata is found in the mountains of Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
and northern Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. The nominate subspecies A. o. orthonyx ranges further north, from the Cordillera Central and Cordillera Oriental of Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
to the mountains of northwestern Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, with small populations also present in the Cordillera Occidental (in Antioquia and the Páramo de Frontino at least). It is not usually found on the Amazonian slope of the East Colombian and Venezuelan mountains it inhabits; on the Cordillera Oriental it is only known so far in a few places between 8,200-10,000 ft (2,500-3,000 m) ASL
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
. The northern and southern populations are barely distinguishable and many authors accept no subspecies at all.
It favors humid and rather low-growing forest with canopy
Canopy (forest)
In biology, the canopy is the aboveground portion of a plant community or crop, formed by plant crowns.For forests, canopy also refers to the upper layer or habitat zone, formed by mature tree crowns and including other biological organisms .Sometimes the term canopy is used to refer to the extent...
heights of about 50–80 ft (15–25 m). Dominant trees can include for example Brunellia
Brunellia
Brunellia is a genus of trees in the family Brunelliaceae. It consists of 62 species which grow in the mountainous regions from southern Mexico to Bolivia...
, Hieronyma
Hieronyma
Hieronyma is a genus belonging to the plant family Phyllanthaceae. This family was formerly united with spurges, crotons, copperleaves, etc , but have turned out to be well distinct....
rufa (Phyllanthaceae
Phyllanthaceae
Phyllanthaceae is a family of flowering plants in the eudicot order Malpighiales. It is most closely related to the family Picrodendraceae. The Phyllanthaceae are most numerous in the tropics, with many in the south temperate zone, and a few ranging as far north as the middle of the north temperate...
), Ocotea
Ocotea
Ocotea is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Lauraceae. The genus includes over 200 species of evergreen trees and shrubs, distributed mostly in tropical and subtropical regions of Central and South America, the West Indies, also with a few species in Africa and Madagascar, and...
calophylla (Lauraceae
Lauraceae
The Lauraceae or Laurel family comprises a group of flowering plants included in the order Laurales. The family contains about 55 genera and over 3500, perhaps as many as 4000, species world-wide, mostly from warm or tropical regions, especially Southeast Asia and South America...
), oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
s (Quercus), glorytrees (Tibouchina) and Weinmannia
Weinmannia
Weinmannia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cunoniaceae. The genus includes approximately 150 species of canopy trees and shrubs, ranging across the montane tropics and temperate New Zealand and Chile....
, usually heavily overgrown with epiphyte
Epiphyte
An epiphyte is a plant that grows upon another plant non-parasitically or sometimes upon some other object , derives its moisture and nutrients from the air and rain and sometimes from debris accumulating around it, and is found in the temperate zone and in the...
s. More important is the presence of a tangled understory
Understory
Understory is the term for the area of a forest which grows at the lowest height level below the forest canopy. Plants in the understory consist of a mixture of seedlings and saplings of canopy trees together with understory shrubs and herbs...
with abundant stands of South American mountain bamboo (Chusquea), forming an impenetrable thicket together with other plants such as Geonoma
Geonoma
Geonoma is a genus of small to medium-sized palms native to the forest understorey of tropical Central and South America.This palm genus is one of the largest in the Neotropics...
weberbaueri palms or Ericaceae
Ericaceae
The Ericaceae, commonly known as the heath or heather family, is a group of mostly calcifuge flowering plants. The family is large, with roughly 4000 species spread across 126 genera, making it the 14th most speciose family of flowering plants...
shrubs. Due to its dependence on bamboo thickets which only grow in clearings it seems to tolerate selective logging well and may actually benefit from it.
The Ocellated Tapaculo eats plant material and arthropod
Arthropod
An arthropod is an invertebrate animal having an exoskeleton , a segmented body, and jointed appendages. Arthropods are members of the phylum Arthropoda , and include the insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and others...
s, which it digs up using both feet simultaneously. It is usually encountered in pairs or alone, hopping through bamboo along the forest floor. Preferring to stay close to the ground, it is more often heard than seen. It is possible to attract Ocellated Tapaculos with recorded or imitated calls, which they will approach to investigate from several kilometers away. Though shy and retiring and affected by habitat destruction
Habitat destruction
Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms that previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Habitat destruction by human activity mainly for the purpose of...
like all forest birds of the tropical Americas, it is common enough to be considered a Species of Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
by the IUCN.