The dusky tapaculo is a species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It is endemic to Chile.
Region
Central Chile
Typical Environment
Found in the Chilean matorral and adjacent scrub, forest edges, ravines, and dense secondary growth. It favors tangled understory with plenty of leaf litter and cover, including riparian thickets and brushy slopes. In the southern part of its range it may also use dense bamboo patches and young forest. It tolerates disturbed habitats if dense ground vegetation remains intact.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2000 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The dusky tapaculo is a small, secretive ground-dweller that spends most of its time hidden in dense understory, making it far more often heard than seen. Its loud, mechanical trill is a key clue to its presence and is used by birders to detect it. Like other tapaculos, it often holds its short tail cocked and darts mouse-like through thickets.
Temperament
secretive and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Typically solitary or in pairs, especially during the breeding season. Nests are placed low, often domed or in cavities within dense vegetation or earthen banks, with both sexes involved in care. Territorial during breeding, advertising territory through persistent song.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A loud, penetrating, mechanical trill that may accelerate slightly then sustain for several seconds. Calls include sharp chips and scolds from deep cover, often given repeatedly.
