Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Mouse-colored Tapaculo
Scytalopus speluncae
Mouse-colored Tapaculo (Scytalopus speluncae) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
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The Mouse-colored Tapaculo (Scytalopus speluncae) is a member of the Rhinocryptidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 13 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Rhinocryptidae Tapaculos
- Genus Scytalopus
- Species speluncae
Quick facts
- Weight
- 13 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Rhinocryptidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Endangered
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Endangered
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Mouse-colored Tapaculo is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Mouse-colored Tapaculo is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Mouse-colored Tapaculo (Scytalopus speluncae) is a member of the Rhinocryptidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA se Brazil.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 13 g, with a wing length of about 5 cm and a tail of around 4.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 250,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Mouse-colored Tapaculo?
The Mouse-colored Tapaculo is a very small bird that weighs around 13 g.
Where does the Mouse-colored Tapaculo live?
The Mouse-colored Tapaculo is found across South America with a range covering SA se Brazil, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Mouse-colored Tapaculo belong to?
The Mouse-colored Tapaculo (Scytalopus speluncae) belongs to the Rhinocryptidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Mouse-colored Tapaculo eat?
The Mouse-colored Tapaculo is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Mouse-colored Tapaculo migrate?
The Mouse-colored Tapaculo is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Mouse-colored Tapaculo endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Mouse-colored Tapaculo make?
1 real field recording of the Mouse-colored Tapaculo — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Mouse-colored Tapaculo's range?
The Mouse-colored Tapaculo has a mapped global range of about 250,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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