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White-winged Tapaculo | Scytalopus krabbei
Witvleugeltapaculo | Churrín aliblanco | Macuquinho-de-asa-branca
The White-winged Tapaculo is a tapaculo from the Andes of north-central Peru that was described only in 2020 and named after the Danish ornithologist Niels Krabbe. It closely resembles other grey Scytalopus species, but has a small white patch on the wing. The species lives in wet scrub and upper montane forest just below the treeline.
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Voice
The song differs from that of related Scytalopus species and was an important character in the description; it is a repeated series of short notes. Few details have been published; recordings are the best aid.
Recording: Dan Lane — CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · xeno-canto
Identification
11–12 cm, small and round, with a short, often cocked tail. The plumage is mostly dark grey; the rump and flanks are brown with dark barring. A small white patch on the wing is formed by white outer webs of the outer two or three greater primary coverts. Females are browner than males; young birds are brown with dense dark barring.
Confusion species
Tschudi's Tapaculo Scytalopus acutirostris occurs locally in the same area, but lacks the white wing patch and lives more inside the forest, whereas the White-winged Tapaculo is more tied to the transition from scrub to open tussock grassland. Jalca Tapaculo Scytalopus frankeae lives in similar scrub in Huánuco, Pasco and Junín and also lacks white on the wing. Song and wing patch are the main features.
Habitat
Wet scrub and upper montane forest, especially at the upper edge of the forest where scrub meets open tussock grassland, between about 2800 and 3500 m, mostly around 2900 to 3100 m. It moves low through dense vegetation, taking small insects and spiders. Nothing is known about the nest.
Where the bird is most at home, classified by the vegetation units of the Andes and the west coast.
Range and movements
Only in Peru, at a few sites in three separate areas in the Central Andes of north-central Peru; probably also along the eastern slope north of the Río Huallaga. Absent from Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia and the Galápagos. Does not occur outside the guide area.
- Resident
- dark = core range, pale = thinly spread
How and when to look
Search wet scrub at the upper edge of the forest in north-central Peru and listen for singing birds. On a visible bird, look for the small white wing patch.
Conservation status
Not evaluated. The species was described only recently and has not yet been assessed. Within its small known range it is common in suitable habitat; fire and grazing at the treeline degrade the scrub locally.
Scientific name
Scytalopus krabbei | Schulenberg, Lane, Spencer, Angulo P & Cadena, 2020
Schulenberg, Lane, Spencer, Angulo P & Cadena described the species in 2020 and placed it straight away in the genus where it still stands. The genus Scytalopus was introduced in 1837 by Gould. The genus name combines Greek skutalē or skutalon, 'stick', with pous, 'foot'. The species name krabbei honours Niels Krabbe, Danish ornithologist with extensive fieldwork in the Andes and a specialist in tapaculos of the genus Scytalopus. The specimen the first description was based on came from Cerro Patricia, Alto Mayo, San Martín/Amazonas, Peru.