Ancash Tapaculo Scytalopus affinis

The Cordillera Blanca, in the department of Ancash in western Peru, is the center of the distribution of Ancash Tapaculo, where it is the only species of tapaculo. It possibly occurs north as far as the department of Cajamarca, but the difficulty of distinguishing between different species of tapaculos leaves room for some doubts about the identity of tapaculos in that region. This a small species of tapaculo. The appearance is plain, being primarily light gray with light brown flanks and rump. Ancash Tapaculo occurs near treeline, at 3000-4600 m, where it forages for small invertebrates on or near the ground in a mosaic of bunch grass, boulders, and shrubs and low trees (Polylepis). Although this species has a small geographic range, it generally is common, and is not considered to be threatened. Most aspects of the natural history of the Ancash Tapaculo are unknown.