Vilcabamba Tapaculo Scytalopus urubambae Scientific name definitions

Vilcabamba Tapaculo apparently is found only in the upper Urubamba valley in southern Peru. The location of the Machu Picchu ruins, the Urubamba valley is one the most heavily visited areas in Peru, but few birders or ornithologists have seen this species, as it is restricted to very high elevations, at and near treeline. Vilcabamba Tapaculo is similar in appearance to many other species of small Scytalopus tapaculos, being primarily gray with brown rump and flanks, but this species is distinctive among tapaculos in that the brown on the rear part of the body is a particularly "warm" ochraceous color. This species forages for small invertebrates on or near the ground in humid montane and elfin forests, and among boulders and dense mossy vegetation at treeline. Although this species has a small geographic range, it generally is common, and is not considered to be threatened. Most aspects of the natural history of the Vilcabamba Tapaculo are unknown.