Scytalopus canus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	PASSERIFORMES	RHINOCRYPTIDAE

Scientific Name:

Scytalopus canus

Species Authority:

Chapman, 1915

Common Name/s:

English

–

Paramillo Tapaculo

Taxonomic Notes:

Scytalopus magellanicus (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) has been split into S. magellanicus, S. griseicollis, S. fuscicauda, S. altirostris, S. affinis, S. acutirostris, S. urubambae, S. simonsi, S. zimmeri, S. fuscus and S. canus following SACC (2005). Scytalopus canus has been split into S. canus and S. opacus following SACC (2010).

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Endangered B1ab(ii,iii,v);C2a(ii) ver 3.1

Year Published:

2012

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Butchart, S. & Symes, A.

Contributor/s:

Justification:
This newly split species is listed as Endangered on the basis that it is restricted to only two areas of páramo that may be susceptible to the effects of climate change, and occupies a very small range, in which the extent and quality of suitable habitats are already in decline owing to deforestation and fires.

History:

2011	–	Endangered
2008	–	Not Recognized
2004	–	Not Recognized
2000	–	Not Recognized
1994	–	Not Recognized
1988	–	Not Recognized

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Scytalopus canus was first described by Chapman in 1915 (Krabbe and Cadena 2010), but was subsumed into S. magellanicus until a taxonomic study was published in 1997 (Krabbe and Schulenberg 1997). Subsequently S. opacus was treated as a subspecies of S. canus owing to a lack of recorded vocalisations for S. canus; however, a recent analysis of vocal and genetic differences supports their treatment as separate species (Krabbe and Cadena 2010). S. canus is so far only known from Páramo de Paramillo and Páramo de Frontino (Páramo del Sol) in the Western Andes of Colombia (Krabbe and Cadena 2010, Fundación ProAves 2011).
Countries:	Native: Colombia
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	The population has been estimated to number fewer than 1,000 individuals, although this may be overly conservative given the species's range size. It is placed in the band 250-999 mature individuals, equivalent to 375-1,499 individuals in total, rounded here to 350-1,500 individuals.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	The species inhabits vegetation at the timberline in the transition zone between páramo grasslands and forest, including scrub, stunted trees and Polylepis woodland (Krabbe and Cadena 2010, (Fundación ProAves 2011). It forages on moss-covered trunks, along branches in dense scrub and on the ground for small invertebrates and berries (del Hoyo et al. 2003).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Deforestation continues to affect the timberline ecotone in the species's range (Fundación ProAves 2011). Its habitats are also threatened by fires. In January 2010, a fire accidentally started by hikers destroyed an area of suitable habitat at Páramo de Frontino. Its ability to adapt to regenerating forest (Fundación ProAves in litt. 2011) may limit the impacts of these threats. As a high elevation species it is potentially threatened by the effects of climate change, which may influence the frequency and severity of fires and droughts and could alter the extent of suitable habitats (Fundación ProAves 2011).

Major Threat(s):

Deforestation continues to affect the timberline ecotone in the species's range (Fundación ProAves 2011). Its habitats are also threatened by fires. In January 2010, a fire accidentally started by hikers destroyed an area of suitable habitat at Páramo de Frontino. Its ability to adapt to regenerating forest (Fundación ProAves in litt. 2011) may limit the impacts of these threats. As a high elevation species it is potentially threatened by the effects of climate change, which may influence the frequency and severity of fires and droughts and could alter the extent of suitable habitats (Fundación ProAves 2011).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation Actions Underway A small patch (c.1.4 km²) of suitable habitat at Páramo de Frontino is effectively protected by Colibrí del Sol Bird Reserve (Fundación ProAves 2011). Paramillo National Park supposedly protects Páramo de Paramillo; however in reality it is ineffective, with no attempts to control ongoing high deforestation rates ongoing inside the park (Fundación ProAves 2011). Conservation Actions Proposed Carry out surveys to obtain a population estimate. Search for the species at areas of páramo near the known locations. Monitor population trends. Monitor the extent and condition of suitable habitat. Improve the protection of Paramillo National Park. Increase the area of protected habitat at Páramo de Frontino.

Conservation Actions:

Conservation Actions Underway
A small patch (c.1.4 km²) of suitable habitat at Páramo de Frontino is effectively protected by Colibrí del Sol Bird Reserve (Fundación ProAves 2011). Paramillo National Park supposedly protects Páramo de Paramillo; however in reality it is ineffective, with no attempts to control ongoing high deforestation rates ongoing inside the park (Fundación ProAves 2011).

Conservation Actions Proposed
Carry out surveys to obtain a population estimate. Search for the species at areas of páramo near the known locations. Monitor population trends. Monitor the extent and condition of suitable habitat. Improve the protection of Paramillo National Park. Increase the area of protected habitat at Páramo de Frontino.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2012. Scytalopus canus. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 25 May 2013.
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