“The song of the forests of southern Chile”: what the chucao, the new ambassador of Chilean wildlife, looks like

As you enter a forest in southern Chile, you’ll notice that the density of the trees prevents you from seeing what lies beyond. As you move forward, the loud, unmistakable song of a bird wanting to be noticed may appear: the chucao .

You will not always see it, because it moves and hides with great agility among trees, bushes or bushes. However, its vocalization will continue to accompany you until the end, as if it were a faithful friend.

Chucao, whose scientific name is Scelorchilus rubecula, is an emblematic species of the temperate forests of the south of the country. And recently, he has gained significant recognition: was crowned the new ambassador of Chilean wildlife .

For a decade now, the Jane Goodall Institute has had an online voting system open, so the public can choose their favorite native animal for the next term.

This year was no exception. On Chilean Wildlife Day, celebrated on November 6, it was announced that the winner was the chucao. The competition included five other contestants: the orca, the slender lizard, the vizcacha, the four-eyed toad and the chagual butterfly. However, none of them managed to defeat the red-necked bird.

Despite its small size – it measures between 18 and 19 centimeters – the chucao is distinguished by the appearance of its plumage. Its head, wings and tail are generally brownish in color, its eye line and chest are gray with very fine white lines, while an intense reddish color adorns its throat and upper chest.

Its small tail is always raised, and thanks to its long legs, it manages to move quickly from one place to another.

Heraldo Norambuena, biologist and researcher at the Bahía Lomas Center at Santo Tomás University, says it is “an almost terrestrial bird.” And unlike other species, the chucao does not spend its time flying or perching on trees, but rather prefers to be on the ground making small jumps.

“Their habits are linked to this environment,” emphasizes Norambuena. It feeds mainly on invertebrates, terrestrial molluscs, shoots and seeds from the ground, so it can be seen digging in the ground, with its paws, to see if it can find this type of prey.

In fact, they even nest in areas of the ground, like cavities already dug in the ground, fallen trees, under tree roots, or in abandoned spots early in the morning.

“When it flies, it does so on very short flights, mainly to gain height or escape danger,” says Vicente Pantoja, member of the Bird and Wildlife Observers Network (ROV) and coordinator of Birds of the World in Chile.

This tiny and compact bird has a wide distribution in Chile, from the border of the O’Higgins and Maule regions, to the north of Magallanes. So far, two subspecies have been identified: the rubeculafound in the continental area of ​​Chile, and the mochae, endemic to Moka Island. The latter is a little larger.

It can also be observed in forest environments in Argentina, although in smaller quantities.

Typically, males are very territorial, whether with other specimens or other birds, such as the hued-hued or southern churrin, according to Pantoja.

As its habitat is the forest floor, it must protect these sites to ensure nests are available. Especially since he does not build the cavities for the nests, but uses existing ones.

In order to defend this territory against others, the chucao uses its main tool: its powerful vocalization.

“It’s the song of the forests of southern Chile. He constantly occupies it and is quite powerful, despite being a small bird. That’s why when we listen to a chucao, he’s probably trying to tell us ‘this is my territory, I live here'” Norambuena emphasizes.

The biologist also attributes its loud sound to the family this bird belongs to, called Rhinocryptidae. “These are birds that live in forest environments where there is a lot of visual obstruction, so their songs have evolved to be able to disperse over greater distances. A close cousin of the chucao, the hued-hued, also has powerful songs,” he adds.

In the presence of humans, some Chucao populations may behave a little more trusting or curious, as long as the person is still.

The breeding season of this bird begins in spring, between September and October, and ends at the end of summer. She can lay 2 to 3 eggs which she incubates for 23 days. Then she raises the chicks for 21 days in the nest, and from there they stay for between 3 and 5 weeks with them near the nest,” says Pantoja.

During these days, the male and female protect their space and share the raising of the chicks.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the chucao is a species classified as “least concern”. This does not mean, however, that it is exempt from facing certain risks.

One of them is the reduction or destruction of its ecosystem, mainly due to the increase in forest fires in recent years.

Norambuena mentions that, in the case of Maule and Biobío, it has been identified that there are very small populations with little mobility. “The chucaos over there are not having fun. “Habitat fragmentation affects the connection between chucao populations, so if there are not good areas of vegetation there could be risks” account.

Another threat, Pantoja says, is introduced species that could wander into their habitat “like the domestic cat or the American mink, which could prey on the chucaos.”

According to the UST researcher, the chucao presents several particularities that make it worthy of being the new ambassador of the national fauna: it is part of Rhinocryptidsone of the oldest families of birds that exist in the country, and also, It is a bird which It is only found in the temperate forests of Chile and Argentina.

“It is a very attractive species for bird watchers, everyone who comes wants to see the chucao because it is more likely to be found here than in Argentina. Its colors are so colorful and its song is so incredible that you have to know it no matter what,” explains the specialist.