Upper Magdalena Tapaculo
Encyclopedia
The Upper Magdalena Tapaculo (Scytalopus rodriguezi) is a member of the tapaculo
s, a group of Neotropical bird
s. It was described as new to science
in 2005.
It is a restricted-range endemic presently known only from two localities on the eastern slope of the Cordillera Central
at the head of the Magdalena Valley, Colombia
at 2000 m or more above sea-level. Its range is believed to be no greater than 170 km², and its population around 2,200 pairs; due to its recent description, no formal evaluation of its conservation status has taken place yet, however. It is found in humid forest
s with dense understorey.
The species scientific name honours José Vicente Rodriguez Mahecha, a Colombian conservationist.
The existence of this species was first suspected in 1986, when a tape-recording of the bird's song was made, but political instability in the region prevented a return visit until 2002-2003, when the species' existence was confirmed.
Tapaculo
The tapaculos are a group of small suboscine passeriform birds with numerous species, found mainly in South America and with the highest diversity in the Andean regions...
s, a group of Neotropical bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s. It was described as new to science
Bird species new to science
This article describes bird species new to science since 1900. Prior to the 20th century, and indeed into its early decades, the pace of discovery of new species was fast; during this period, with numerous collecting expeditions into species-rich areas not previously visited by western...
in 2005.
It is a restricted-range endemic presently known only from two localities on the eastern slope of the Cordillera Central
Cordillera Central, Colombia
The Cordillera Central range is one of the three branches of ridges in the Andes Mountains that split in southern Colombia towards the north up to the Montes de Maria....
at the head of the Magdalena Valley, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
at 2000 m or more above sea-level. Its range is believed to be no greater than 170 km², and its population around 2,200 pairs; due to its recent description, no formal evaluation of its conservation status has taken place yet, however. It is found in humid forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s with dense understorey.
The species scientific name honours José Vicente Rodriguez Mahecha, a Colombian conservationist.
The existence of this species was first suspected in 1986, when a tape-recording of the bird's song was made, but political instability in the region prevented a return visit until 2002-2003, when the species' existence was confirmed.