Ocellated tapaculo

Acropternis orthonyx

The ocellated tapaculo is a large bird found in the northern Andes in South America. It is a highly distinctive tapaculo; traditionally united with its closest relatives in the Rhinocryptidae, this family is paraphyletic with the Formicariidae but instead of merging the tapaculos with the ground-antbird family, recent sources tend to split the antpittas from the Formicariidae.
Ocellated tapaculo - frontal, Bellavista, Ecuador We spent the entire morning session in Bellavista on this single bird, which drove us absolutely mad. It has a distinct loud call and as such, was not difficult to locate. We could only hear it though. It just refuses to show itself. Perhaps unsurprising, as they are related to ground-antbirds, notoriously hard to see. Four people strong we spent multiple hours staring into this section of dark bushes, trying to get a glimpse of it. Once every 15 minutes or so it would move, either invisibly, or a mere flash of one part of the bird showing. We came to a point of no return, we had put in too much time to leave empty handed. So we committed to either see this bird, or die of starvation on the spot. Ultimately, we did manage to see it two or three times in brief second appearances. The photos are quite poor, due to lack of light and the many obstructions. Still, consider that this species is rarely photographed. Out of the few hundred or so photos online, some 70% seem to be feeder shots, which you can recognize by a perch in the open on thick horizontal branches, sometimes with the lure (worms) in sight. https://www.jungledragon.com/image/126758/ocellated_tapaculo_bellavista_ecuador.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/126757/ocellated_tapaculo_-_closeup_bellavista_ecuador.html Acropternis orthonyx,Bellavista Cloud Forest,Ecuador,Ecuador 2021,Geotagged,Ocellated tapaculo,South America,Spring,World

Appearance

This passerine averages 8.3-8.7 in in length and between 2.8-3.5 oz. The bird is mostly black with large white spots, a brown flank, and a reddish head and throat. A call, apparently given by birds to announce their presence to conspecifics, is described as "loud, emphatic ''WHEEUW!'' whistle" which as it seems can be heard from a long distance.
Ocellated tapaculo - closeup, Bellavista, Ecuador We spent the entire morning session in Bellavista on this single bird, which drove us absolutely mad. It has a distinct loud call and as such, was not difficult to locate. We could only hear it though. It just refuses to show itself. Perhaps unsurprising, as they are related to ground-antbirds, notoriously hard to see. Four people strong we spent multiple hours staring into this section of dark bushes, trying to get a glimpse of it. Once every 15 minutes or so it would move, either invisibly, or a mere flash of one part of the bird showing. We came to a point of no return, we had put in too much time to leave empty handed. So we committed to either see this bird, or die of starvation on the spot. Ultimately, we did manage to see it two or three times in brief second appearances. The photos are quite poor, due to lack of light and the many obstructions. Still, consider that this species is rarely photographed. Out of the few hundred or so photos online, some 70% seem to be feeder shots, which you can recognize by a perch in the open on thick horizontal branches, sometimes with the lure (worms) in sight. https://www.jungledragon.com/image/126758/ocellated_tapaculo_bellavista_ecuador.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/126786/ocellated_tapaculo_-_frontal_bellavista_ecuador.html Acropternis orthonyx,Bellavista Cloud Forest,Ecuador,Ecuador 2021,Geotagged,Ocellated tapaculo,South America,Spring,World

Distribution

It is sometimes divided into two subspecies: ''Acropternis orthonyx infuscatus'' is found in the mountains of Ecuador and northern Peru. The nominate subspecies ''A. o. orthonyx'' ranges further north, from the Cordillera Central and Cordillera Oriental of Colombia to the mountains of northwestern Venezuela, with small populations also present in the Cordillera Occidental . It is not usually found on the Amazonian slope of the East Colombian and Venezuelan mountains it inhabits; on the Cordillera Oriental it is only known so far in a few places between 8,200-10,000 ft ASL. The northern and southern populations are barely distinguishable and many authors accept no subspecies at all.
Ocellated tapaculo, Bellavista, Ecuador We spent the entire morning session in Bellavista on this single bird, which drove us absolutely mad. It has a distinct loud call and as such, was not difficult to locate. We could only hear it though. It just refuses to show itself. Perhaps unsurprising, as they are related to ground-antbirds, notoriously hard to see. Four people strong we spent multiple hours staring into this section of dark bushes, trying to get a glimpse of it. Once every 15 minutes or so it would move, either invisibly, or a mere flash of one part of the bird showing. We came to a point of no return, we had put in too much time to leave empty handed. So we committed to either see this bird, or die of starvation on the spot. Ultimately, we did manage to see it two or three times in brief second appearances. The photos are quite poor, due to lack of light and the many obstructions. Still, consider that this species is rarely photographed. Out of the few hundred or so photos online, some 70% seem to be feeder shots, which you can recognize by a perch in the open on thick horizontal branches, sometimes with the lure (worms) in sight. https://www.jungledragon.com/image/126757/ocellated_tapaculo_-_closeup_bellavista_ecuador.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/126786/ocellated_tapaculo_-_frontal_bellavista_ecuador.html Acropternis orthonyx,Bellavista Cloud Forest,Ecuador,Ecuador 2021,Geotagged,Ocellated tapaculo,South America,Spring,World

Behavior

The ocellated tapaculo eats plant material and arthropods, which it digs up using both feet simultaneously. It is usually encountered in pairs or alone, hopping through bamboo along the forest floor. Preferring to stay close to the ground, it is more often heard than seen. It is possible to attract ocellated tapaculos with recorded or imitated calls, which they will approach to investigate from several kilometers away. Though shy and retiring and affected by habitat destruction like all forest birds of the tropical Americas, it is common enough to be considered a Species of least concern by the IUCN.

Habitat

It favors humid and rather low-growing forest with canopy heights of about 50–80 ft . Dominant trees can include for example ''Brunellia'', ''Hieronyma rufa'' , ''Ocotea calophylla'' , oaks , glorytrees and ''Weinmannia'', usually heavily overgrown with epiphytes. More important is the presence of a tangled understory with abundant stands of South American mountain bamboo , forming an impenetrable thicket together with other plants such as ''Geonoma weberbaueri'' palms or Ericaceae shrubs. Due to its dependence on bamboo thickets which only grow in clearings it seems to tolerate selective logging well and may actually benefit from it.

References:

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Status: Least concern
EX EW CR EN VU NT LC
Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionChordata
ClassAves
OrderPasseriformes
FamilyRhinocryptidae
GenusAcropternis
SpeciesA. orthonyx
Photographed in
Ecuador