List of tapaculos

Rhinocryptidae is a family of passerine birds in the parvorder Furnariida.^[1] Most species in the family are called tapaculos, although some are known as huet-huets, gallitos, bristlefronts, turcas, or bamboowrens.^[2] Tapaculos are endemic to the Neotropics and inhabit dense undergrowth in a variety of habitats, from lowland tropical rainforest to páramo and puna grassland high in the Andes. Tapaculos are usually extremely secretive, ground-dwelling birds that are best detected by their vocalizations. Several species of tapaculos may even be flightless.^[1] Tapaculos are generally blackish or grayish with rufous-and-black markings on the tail and sides, and are best identified by their calls.^[3] Several species of tapaculos are threatened with extinction, with habitat loss being the principal threat to most species.^[1] Stresemann's bristlefront is considered to be critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with a maximum estimated population of 49 mature individuals, and another seven species are considered to be endangered.

There are currently 65 species of tapaculos recognized by the International Ornithologists' Union, distributed among 12 genera, 7 of which have only one species. The most species-rich genus is Scytalopus, with 49 species.^[2] Tapaculo diversity is highest in the Andes, where a combination of the poor flying ability of Scytalopus tapaculos and complex topography has led to high levels of population isolation, with more than 30 species having been described from the region.^[3][4] Despite their high diversity, Scytalopus tapaculos are difficult to differentiate on the basis of appearance and are generally described based on genetic data and differences in vocalizations.^[3] The number of known tapaculo species has drastically increased as the amount of genetic and vocal data available has increased, but diversity within the genus is likely still underestimated.^[3]