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Chucao Tapaculo

Scelorchilus rubecula
(Kittlitz, FH, 1830)
Chucao

Family: Rhinocryptidae
Order: Passeriformes
Class: Aves
Phylum / Division: Chordata
Kingdom: Animalia

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Conservation Status according to BirdLife International: Least Concern

Synonyms: Pteroptochos rubecula.

Subspecies:


Description: Black beak and brown iris, with a general olive-brown coloration, featuring a striking reddish bib covering the neck and throat, a thin eyebrow of the same color passing behind the eyes and extending to a small portion above the beak. It has a fine white barring on the chest and a barely marked periocular of the same color.

Sexual Dimorphism: Same sexes.

Habitat: Inhabits dense vegetation in the humid forests of the south.

Behavior: Curious, active, it is common to see it running through the fallen leaves and branches of the forest at high speed, making it hard to spot, but if one stays still and silent, it is very likely to approach to investigate, where it becomes easier to observe. When it perches on a low branch, it does so with its tail erect.

Song: A powerful scream, heard from a great distance, which it repeats at intervals possibly to communicate with others. Whenever one screams, another can be heard responding from afar (Kovacs, 2005). The name “Chucao” is onomatopoeic, derived from the territorial cry it emits (Costa et al., 2012).

Nesting: Nests in holes that it digs itself in white soil ravines, where it lays a maximum of three white eggs.

Feeding: Feeds on small invertebrates that it searches for by scratching the soil and leaf litter of the forest with its feet.

Authors of this description: Diego Oscar

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Number of Photography: 218




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Number of Recorded Vocalizations: 17



Audio playerUserDateCountryProvincePlaceSexLife stageIt was observedDetails
Fernanda Ferrari01/06/2026ChileRegión de Los LagosParque nacional alerce andinoLlanquihueN/AN/ANoNo
Mariano Costa01/12/2026ArgentinaRío NegroCerro Catedral (base)San Carlos de BarilocheN/AAdultYesNo
Viviana Fuentes01/01/2020ArgentinaRío NegroSendero los arrayanesSan Carlos de BarilocheN/AN/ANoNo
Julián Tocce02/26/2024ArgentinaNeuquénSenda en Cerro BayoVilla La AngosturaN/AAdultYesNo
Pablo Bruni01/26/2022ArgentinaRío NegroParque Municipal Llao-llaoSan Carlos de BarilocheN/AN/AYesNo
Hugo Caverzasi03/11/2018ArgentinaNeuquénReserva Municipal Laguna VerdeVilla La AngosturaN/AN/AYesNo
Diego Oscar01/08/2021ArgentinaChubutParque Nacional Los AlercesN/AN/AYesNo
Dolores Fernandez12/21/2020ArgentinaNeuquénYucoParque Nacional LanínIndistinguishableAdultNoNo
Diego Oscar05/08/2018ArgentinaRío NegroParque Municipal Llao LlaoIndistinguishableAdultYesNo
Dolores Fernandez12/09/2015ArgentinaNeuquénYucoParque Nacional LanínIndistinguishableAdultYesNo
Julián Tocce11/19/2015ChileRegión de Los LagosQuemchiChiloéN/AAdultNoNo
Alicia Miller11/19/2015ChileRegión de Los LagosCascada de TocoihueChiloéIndistinguishableAdultYesNo
Héctor Bernardo Fernández11/13/2015ArgentinaRío NegroParque Municipal Llao LlaoIndistinguishableAdultYesNo
Federico Andrés De Maio01/15/2015ArgentinaNeuquénPuerto ManzanoVilla La AngosturaN/AAdultYesNo
Dolores Fernandez12/22/2014ArgentinaNeuquénHua HumParque Nacional LanínIndistinguishableAdultYesNo
Mariano Costa01/16/2014ChileRegión de la AraucaníaValdiviaIndistinguishableAdultNoNo
 DownloadJorge La Grotteria01/20/2011ArgentinaRío NegroSeccional ChallhuacoParque Nacional Nahuel HuapiIndistinguishableAdultYesNo


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Number of Films: 3




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 Reports


 Detail of places sorted by number of records






Number of Records: 877



Page 1 of 88
Record IDDateExact timeCountryProvince / departmentPlaceFilmedPhotographedRecorded vocalObservedHeardWounded or deadNumber of individualsUser or BibliographyDetail
243582118/02/2026ArgentinaNeuquénLaguna rosales, Parque Nacional LanínNicolas Olejnik
243580318/02/2026ArgentinaNeuquénHua Hum, Parque Nacional LanínNicolas Olejnik
243520217/02/2026ArgentinaNeuquénLago Curruhue Grande, Parque Nacional LanínNicolas Olejnik
243316915/02/202612:32ArgentinaRío NegroCamino sin nombrarElsa Longo
243218111/02/2026ArgentinaNeuquénCamino al Mirador Arrayanes, San Martin de los AndesNicolas Olejnik
242904507/02/2026ArgentinaNeuquénValle del rio Curruhue, Junin de los Andes1Nicolas Olejnik
241956722/01/202612:34ArgentinaRío NegroCamino sin nombrarMariano Costa
241823518/01/202619:07ArgentinaRío NegroCamino sin nombrarMariano Costa
241820118/01/202608:03ArgentinaRío NegroCamino sin nombrarMariano Costa
241819918/01/202607:58ArgentinaRío NegroCamino sin nombrarMariano Costa
Page 1 of 88

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Bibliography related


Artículo Costa M., R. Moller Jensen Y Otros. 2011. Proyecto Freebirds Guía de las Aves. <http://www.freebirds.com.ar>.

Artículo Kovacs, C. J., O. Kovacs, Z. Kovacs, C. M. Kovacs. 2005. Manual ilustrado de las aves de la Patagonia: Antártida Argentina e Islas del Atlántico Sur. Carlos Kovacs; Ors Kovacs; Zsolt Kovacs – 1ed – El Bolsón, 368 págs.



Citation recommended:

EcoRegistros. 2026. Chucao Tapaculo (Scelorchilus rubecula) - Species sheet. Acceded from https://www.ecoregistros.org on 10/03/2026.