The Diamantina tapaculo is a species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It is endemic to northeastern Brazil.
Region
Espinhaço Range, northeastern Brazil
Typical Environment
Occurs in the highland plateau and surrounding slopes of the Chapada Diamantina in Bahia. It favors moist montane forest patches, gallery forests along streams, and dense thickets embedded within rocky campos rupestres. Birds keep to shaded ravines, forest edges, and bamboo or vine tangles where ground cover is continuous. The species’ distribution is highly localized, with populations separated by unsuitable dry open habitats.
Altitude Range
900–1800 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Described to science only in the 2010s, the Diamantina tapaculo is a cryptic understory bird best identified by its distinctive song. It inhabits the rocky highlands of Chapada Diamantina, where it stays close to dense ground cover and rarely ventures into open areas. Like other tapaculos, it often holds its very short tail upright and prefers running to flying. Its restricted range makes habitat protection in the region especially important.
Temperament
skulking and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, usually low to the ground
Social Behavior
Typically found singly or in pairs and strongly territorial during the breeding season. Nests are placed near the ground in banks, root tangles, or dense vegetation, with both sexes involved in territory defense. Courtship and pair bonding rely heavily on vocal communication.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A persistent series of sharp, evenly spaced notes that may accelerate into a ringing trill. Songs are delivered from concealed perches in dense cover, most active at dawn and after rain.
Plumage
Mostly dark slaty-gray to blackish with subtly barred brownish flanks; females and immatures are browner overall with more obvious flank barring. Feathers are soft and dense, aiding its secretive, ground-level lifestyle. Tail is extremely short and often held cocked.
Diet
Primarily small arthropods, including beetles, ants, spiders, and caterpillars taken from leaf litter and mossy substrates. It probes and picks methodically along the ground and at the bases of shrubs. Occasionally snaps up small prey flushed by movement and may take tiny seeds incidentally while foraging.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in dense understory, along stream banks, and among root mats and rocky crevices where moisture keeps leaf litter plentiful. Often forages under cover of vines, bamboo, or low shrubs.
