Photo: Francesco Veronesi / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Paramo Tapaculo
Scytalopus opacus
Paramo Tapaculo (Scytalopus opacus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Paramo Tapaculo (Scytalopus opacus) is a member of the Rhinocryptidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 16.2 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 opacus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 16.2 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Rhinocryptidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Not Evaluated
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Paramo Tapaculo is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The Paramo Tapaculo is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Paramo Tapaculo (Scytalopus opacus) belongs to the Rhinocryptidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA c Colombia to sc Ecuador.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 16.2 g, with a wing length of about 5.1 cm and a tail of around 3.7 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 72,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Paramo Tapaculo?
The Paramo Tapaculo is a small bird that weighs around 16.2 g.
Where does the Paramo Tapaculo live?
The Paramo Tapaculo is found across South America with a range covering SA c Colombia to sc Ecuador, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Paramo Tapaculo belong to?
The Paramo Tapaculo (Scytalopus opacus) belongs to the Rhinocryptidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Paramo Tapaculo eat?
The Paramo Tapaculo is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Paramo Tapaculo migrate?
The Paramo Tapaculo is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Paramo 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 Paramo Tapaculo make?
1 real field recording of the Paramo Tapaculo — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Paramo Tapaculo's range?
The Paramo Tapaculo has a mapped global range of about 72,000 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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Guides for this bird
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