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Tapaculos: Rhinocryptidae

Diet

Tapaculos eat mainly insects and spiders. Some species also eat berries. These birds feed by walking or hopping across the forest floor, then scraping their feet against the ground, turning over the moss and leaves with their strong claws to look for bugs. A few species hop through low branches eating the insects they find there.

WHO IS IN AND WHO IS OUT?

Tapaculos are some of the hardest birds to classify. Scientists are still not sure exactly how many species there are in this family. New species are being discovered, and in 1997 several species were reclassified. In the past, tapaculos were considered separate species if they had different songs or lived in different environments and did not interbreed. Today genetic and biochemical evidence suggests that some of these classifications may be wrong and the number of tapaculo species may change again.

Additional topics

Animal Life ResourceBirdsTapaculos: Rhinocryptidae - Physical Characteristics, Habitat, Diet, Behavior And Reproduction, Conservation Status, Rusty-belted Tapaculo (liosceles Thoracicus): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, TAPACULOS AND PEOPLE