Photo: Nick Athanas / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Choco Tapaculo
Scytalopus chocoensis
Choco Tapaculo (Scytalopus chocoensis) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Choco Tapaculo (Scytalopus chocoensis) is a member of the Rhinocryptidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 20 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 chocoensis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 20 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Rhinocryptidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Choco 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 Choco Tapaculo is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Choco Tapaculo (Scytalopus chocoensis) is a species of bird in the Rhinocryptidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA e Panama to nw Ecuador.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 20 g, with a wing length of about 5 cm and a tail of around 4.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 26,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Choco Tapaculo?
The Choco Tapaculo is a small bird that weighs around 20 g.
Where does the Choco Tapaculo live?
The Choco Tapaculo is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA e Panama to nw Ecuador, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Choco Tapaculo belong to?
The Choco Tapaculo (Scytalopus chocoensis) belongs to the Rhinocryptidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Choco Tapaculo eat?
The Choco Tapaculo is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Choco Tapaculo migrate?
The Choco Tapaculo is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Choco 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 Choco Tapaculo make?
1 real field recording of the Choco Tapaculo can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Choco Tapaculo's range?
The Choco Tapaculo has a mapped global range of about 26,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Rhinocryptidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Songbirds
Least Concern
Extinct
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.