Zimmer's tapaculo is a species of passerine bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It is found in Bolivia and Argentina.
Region
Andes Mountains
Typical Environment
Occurs in the southern Bolivian and northwestern Argentine Andes, inhabiting dense montane scrub, brushy ravines, and edges of cloud forest. It favors steep slopes with thick understory, tussock grasses, and scattered shrubs or Polylepis/alder edges. The species keeps close to the ground, using rock crevices, root tangles, and dense vegetation for cover. It is typically local but can be fairly common where suitable habitat persists.
Altitude Range
2200–3600 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Zimmer's tapaculo is a small, ground-dwelling passerine of the Andean foothills and mountains of Bolivia and northwestern Argentina. It is notoriously secretive, more often heard than seen, and runs mouse-like through dense understory. Its song is a steady series of repeated notes or trills that can carry far across steep ravines. The species was named in honor of American ornithologist John T. Zimmer.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low and reluctant flier
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly or in pairs, maintaining small territories year-round. Nests are placed low, often in burrows, cavities, or dense vegetation; both adults likely participate in care of young. Pairs communicate frequently with simple, repetitive vocalizations and often duet near territory boundaries.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a long series of evenly spaced, sharp notes or a steady trill that may accelerate slightly, lasting many seconds. Calls include dry ticks and soft chatters given from concealed perches within dense cover.
Plumage
Compact, round-bodied tapaculo with mostly slate-gray head and underparts and brown to rufescent upperparts. Flanks, lower belly, and undertail coverts show fine dark barring over rufous-brown. Tail short and often cocked; wings and mantle subtly barred. Overall matte, cryptic plumage suited to dense understory.
Diet
Primarily small arthropods such as insects and spiders, gleaned from leaf litter, moss, and among rocks. It probes crevices, roots, and dense tangles, and occasionally snaps prey from low foliage. Opportunistically takes small larvae and other invertebrates dislodged by its scratching.
Preferred Environment
Feeds on or very near the ground in dense scrub, thickets, and forest edges along steep, rocky slopes. Often forages under shrubs, in gullies, or among bunchgrasses where cover is abundant.
