| Mérida tapaculo | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Rhinocryptidae |
| Genus: | Scytalopus |
| Species: | S. meridanus |
| Binomial name | |
| Scytalopus meridanus Hellmayr, 1922 | |
 | |
The Mérida tapaculo (Scytalopus meridanus) is a species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It is endemic to Venezuela. [2]
The Mérida tapaculo was previously considered a subspecies of brown-rumped tapaculo (Scytalopus latebricola) but was elevated to species rank based on differences in their vocalizations. [3] [4] Two subspecies are currently (2021) recognized, the nominate S. meridanus meridanus and the "Lara" S. m. fuscicauda. The latter was at one time classed as a subspecies of Magellanic tapaculo (S. magellanicus) and has also been considered a separate species, "Lara tapaculo". It might even be conspecific with S. a. meridanus and not a subspecies. [3] [5]
The Mérida tapaculo is 10.5 to 11.5 cm (4.1 to 4.5 in) long and weighs 13.5 to 16.5 g (0.48 to 0.58 oz). The male's upper body is dark gray washed with brown; the rump and wings are brown. The throat, breast, and belly are paler gray and the flanks and crissum (the area around the cloaca) tawny with faint darker bars. The female is generally paler but the brown wash of the upper body is darker and the tawny flanks brighter. The juvenile is overall brown, darker above and lighter below, with barred underparts. The adult "Lara" subspecies has minor plumage differences from the nominate but they are thought to be age related. [5]
The Mérida tapaculo is found only in the Andes of Venezuela. The nominate subspecies is more southerly, in Mérida and Táchira States, while the "Lara" subspecies is north of it in Lara and Trujillo States. It inhabits the undergrowth and edges of humid montane forest. It is found in Chusquea bamboo but does not prefer it. The nominate subspecies is found mostly from 2,200 to 4,000 m (7,200 to 13,100 ft) elevation while the "Lara" subspecies is found lower, from 1,600 to 3,200 m (5,200 to 10,500 ft). [5]
The Mérida tapaculo's diet and foraging phenology have not been studied. [5]
Little is known about the Mérida tapaculo's breeding phenology. Two nests of the "Lara" subspecies were globes made of moss, rootlets, and leaves. They were in crevices in a rock wall; one had one egg and the other two eggs. At both nests, both adults incubated the eggs until they were predated. [5]
The Mérida tapaculo's song starts with a few descending notes and becomes a rising trill . It has several calls such as , , and . [5]
The IUCN has assessed the Mérida tapaculo as being of Least Concern. Though its range is rather small and its population number is not known, it appears to be common with a stable population. Both subspecies occur in several protected areas. [1] [5]
Tschudi's tapaculo is a species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It is endemic to Peru.
The Ancash tapaculo is a species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It is endemic to Peru.
The neblina tapaculo is a species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It is endemic to the Andes of northern Peru.
The white-crowned tapaculo is a species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
The Paramo tapaculo is a species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It is found in the Andes of Ecuador and southern Colombia.
The Caracas tapaculo is a species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It is endemic to Venezuela.
The rufous-vented tapaculo is a species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It is endemic to Peru.
The dusky tapaculo is a species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It is endemic to Chile.
The pale-bellied tapaculo, also known as the matorral tapaculo or rufous-rumped tapaculo, is a species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela.
The brown-rumped tapaculo is a species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It is endemic to Colombia.
The blackish tapaculo is a species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
The Tacarcuna tapaculo is a species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It is found in Panama and Colombia.
The Santa Marta tapaculo is a species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It is endemic to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta of Colombia.
The puna tapaculo is a species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It is found in Bolivia and Peru.
Spillmann's tapaculo is a species of bird in the family Formicariidae. It inhabits the Andes of Colombia and Ecuador.
The white-browed tapaculo is a species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It is found in northwestern Argentina.
The Nariño tapaculo is a species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador.
The Vilcabamba tapaculo is a small passerine bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It is endemic to Peru.
The jalca tapaculo is a species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It is endemic to Peru.
The Loja tapaculo is a species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae that the South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society (AOS) accepted as a new species in July 2020. It had been classified as a subspecies of paramo tapaculo. It is found in Ecuador and Peru.
