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Scytalopus
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- Zimmer's Tapaculo
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- Zimmer's Tapaculo
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Zimmer's Tapaculo Scytalopus zimmeri Scientific name definitions

Niels Krabbe and Thomas S. Schulenberg
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 1, 2003

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Originally Appeared in

HBW Alive

Introduction

With its distinct white superciliary and white throat, Zimmer's Tapaculo is distinctively plumaged - at least by the standards of the predominately gray and brown Scytalopus tapaculos. Zimmer's Tapaculo is closely similar, however, to White-browed Tapaculo (Scytalopus superciliaris), and their ranges approach one another in northwestern Argentina; these two formerly were classified as conspecific. Zimmer's Tapaculo usually is found in rocky, wooded ravines; the individual in the image above was photographed in a forest of queñoa (Polylepis sp). Like other species of Scytalopus, Zimmer's Tapaculo is heard more often than it is seen. This species forages for small invertebrates and seeds, solitarily or in pairs on and near the ground in dense vegetation; otherwise very little is known about the biology of Zimmer's Tapaculo.

Field Identification

10·5 cm; male 17·6–19·9 g, one female 15·9 g. A fairly small tapaculo with white supercilium and throat and dark-barred brown flanks. Adult has side of head dusky grey, short white supercilium narrow over lores, broader posteriorly; crown, back and wings grey, more or less washed with dull brown on nape, back and inner wing-coverts; tertials, rump and tail dull brown, barred or vermicu­lated with dusky; throat and upper breast white, lower breast and belly grey, flanks, vent and undertail-coverts pale olive-brown with fairly straight and dense dusky bars; iris dark brown; bill blackish to black; tarsus pale brown to yellowish straw at front, brown behind, or all bright straw-yellow. Juvenile has only faint buff-white supercilium, dusky-barred dull olive-brown upperparts and sides of head, paler on tips of greater wing-coverts and primary coverts, whitish throat more buff laterally and with faint dusky tips, breast and belly grey with buff-white tips, upper flanks buff, lower flanks, lower belly and undertail-coverts pale buff with dusky barring.

Systematics History

Close to S. superciliaris and perhaps conspecific. In past, sometimes treated as a race of S. magellanicus. Monotypic.

Subspecies

Monotypic.

Distribution

Andean slopes in Bolivia (Chuquisaca, Tarija) and NW Argentina (Salta, Jujuy).

Habitat

Rocky ravines and shady parts of Alnus, mixed Alnus/Podocarpus or Polylepis woodland in seasonally humid zone, or in ecotones towards adjacent semi-deciduous zone; also on open wet boulder-strewn slopes with bunch-grass and scattered shrubs. Locally in low riparian shrubbery in open country. Occurs at 1700–3200 m. Not known to meet S. bolivianus.

Movement

Probably sedentary.

Diet and Foraging

Three stomachs were crammed with seeds and some grit and also held a few insects; one contained only tiny insects. Forages on and near the ground, often among protruding roots on earthy banks in steep ravines, under mossy rocks or among ferns.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Male song 0·3–0·6 seconds long, repeated for minutes on end at pace of 0·6–0·8 per second, a series of 3–5 burred notes, first loudest, the first 1 or 2 at 3·5–4·5 kHz, last 2 or 3 at 2·5–3·5 kHz, last note often a drawn-out “churr”, song sometimes given with distinct pause between first and last part or without second part. Calls by both sexes include single or double, rising or falling “quick” notes at 3–4 kHz; also explosive “bruick!” with several loud harmonics.

Breeding

Parents seen tending nestlings in Oct; juvenile collected in Apr. One nest placed in a crevice 3 m above ground in a wall of stone and earth bordering a dry stream. Both parents tended the nestlings.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife LC Least Concern
Not globally threatened. Widespread and fairly common. Only a tiny portion of its range is protected, i.e. Tariquiá National Reserve, in Tarija. Owing to steepness of the terrain and the species’ tolerance of habitat disturbance, however, it is probably not at any real risk.
Distribution of the Zimmer's Tapaculo - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Zimmer's Tapaculo

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Krabbe, N. and T. S. Schulenberg (2020). Zimmer's Tapaculo (Scytalopus zimmeri), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.zimtap1.01
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