Junin Tapaculo: New Bird Species from Cloud Forests of Peru{large image}

[xchrom]

http://www.sci-news.com/biology/science-junin-tapaculo-new-bird-species-peru-01272.html


This is an artist’s rendering of the Junin Tapaculo, Scytalopus gettyae (The University of Kansas / KU News Service)

According to a study published in the Wilson Journal of Ornithology, the new species has a unique song that differs strikingly from that of any known Scytalopus species, consisting of a rapidly repeated series of ascending phrases.

The bird, named the Junin Tapaculo, is uniformly blackish in color and small-to-medium in size, most similar to the Blackish Tapaculo.

“The Junin Tapaculo is notable for its habit of sticking its tail straight up in the air. In appearance and behavior, the birds are similar to wrens, even though they are not closely related. They have been described as mouse-like and photophobic,” said lead author Peter Hosner, a doctoral student at the University of Kansas (KU).

“Tapaculos are recognized by ornithologists and birders as one of the most difficult bird families to observe in the field. They tend to be found near the ground in areas of thick, tangled vegetation. They’re active and almost never stop moving. Even if you can’t see the birds themselves, you can usually locate them by the movement of vegetation in their wake. They’re most easily seen by playing recordings of their songs to coax them out into the open. Because of this behavior, frustrated observers have suggested that tapaculos behave more like mice than they do birds.”