Behavior

The Magellanic Tapaculo behaves like a mouse, sneaking near the ground and below the undergrowth. The bird is easier to hear than to see in natural conditions (53 Landbeck, L (1857). Descripción de una nueva especie de pájaro chileno del jénero Scytalopus. Anales de la Universidad de Chile 15(1):182-184. Close , 8 Jaramillo, A. (2003). A Field Guide to the Birds of Chile Including the Antarctic Peninsula, the Falkland Islands and South Georgia. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). It sings in a vertical position inside or at the top of bushes, moving its entire body with each repetition.

Magellanic Tapaculo usually walks or runs in the understory. It does not commonly fly, and if it does, it is a short flight at low altitude (9 Martínez, D., and G. González (2017). Las aves de Chile. Guía de Campo y Breve Historia Natural. Ediciones del Naturalista, Santiago, Chile. Close ).

Walking, Running, Hopping, Climbing, etc.

Largely terrestrial. As with many other tapaculos, this species often walks and jumps; it runs using long steps with its wings held away from its body in the understory (53 Landbeck, L (1857). Descripción de una nueva especie de pájaro chileno del jénero Scytalopus. Anales de la Universidad de Chile 15(1):182-184. Close ).

Flight

The bird typically makes short flights between bushes or between rocks near rivers.

Information needed.

Territorial Behavior

In other Scytalopus of from the same clade (see Related Species), males defend their territory during the breeding season, responding to songs of other Scytalopus species and much more consistently to voices of their own species (22 Krabbe, N., and T. S. Schulenberg (1997). Species limits and natural history of Scytalopus tapaculos (Rhinocryptidae), with descriptions of the Ecuadorian taxa, including three new species. In Studies in Neotropical ornithology honoring Ted Parker (J. V. Remsen, Editor), Ornithological Monographs 47. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, DC, USA. pp. 46–88. Close ). According to De Santo et al. (17 De Santo, T. L., M. F. Willson, K. E. Sieving, and J. J. Armesto (2002) Nesting biology of tapaculos (Rhinocryptidae) in fragmented south-temperate rainforests of Chile. Condor 104: 482-495. Close ), it defends its territory during the breeding season from September to February, and probably before and after as well. When hearing a vocalization of its own species, it perches in exposed sites and moves back and forth singing (44 Sieving, K. E., M. F. Willson, and T. L. De Santo (1996) Habitat barriers to movement of understory birds in fragmented south-temperate rainforest. Auk 113: 944-949. Close ).

Mating System and Operational Sex Ratio

Although there is no direct evidence of the species being socially monogamous, this mating system has been suggested for other members of the genus (58 Hosner, P. A., and N. E. Huanca (2008). Nest, eggs, and parental care of the Puna Tapaculo (Scytalopus simonsi). Wilson Journal of Ornithology 120(3):473–477. Close ), as well as others in the family (59 Winkler, D. W., S. M. Billerman, and I. J. Lovette (2020). Tapaculos (Rhinocryptidae), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (S. M. Billerman, B. K. Keeney, P. G. Rodewald, and T. S. Schulenberg, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. Close ), so it is likely that Magellanic Tapaculo is also monogamous.

Courtship, Copulation, and Pair Bond

In display, the Magellanic Tapaculo (presumably the male), sings intensively from a visible perch, but it is also common to hear them singing inside the bushes, moving from one perch to another, probably also related to territorial behavior.

Degree of Sociality

Solitary or found in pairs.

Nonpredatory Interspecific Interactions

Agonistic behavior directed toward Des Murs's Wiretail (Sylviorthorhynchus desmursii) has been observed during the breeding season in January in Conguillío National Park (Saratscheff, eBird).

Chilean Hawk (Accipiter chilensis) (60 Figueroa Rojas, R. A., S. Alvarado Orellana, C. Bravo Vivanco, C.B., E. S. Corales Stappung, B. A. González, and H. Ibarra-Vidal (2004) Características de las presas del Peuquito (Accipiter chilensis) en el Bosque Templado Austral. Hornero 19: 77-82. Close ) and the introduced American mink (Neogale vison) (48 Rozzi, R., and J. E. Jiménez (2014). Magellanic Sub-Antarctic ornithology: First Decade of Long-Term Bird Studies at the Omora Ethnobotanical Park, Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, Chile. University of North Texas Press, TX, USA. Close ) are the only known predators. It appears that this latter species has reduced the once abundant population of Magellanic Tapaculo in Tierra del Fuego to just a few individuals (35 Gould, J. (1839) The zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, under the command of Capt. Fitzroy, R. N., during the years 1832 to 1836. Part III. Birds. Smith, Elder and Co., London. Close , 48 Rozzi, R., and J. E. Jiménez (2014). Magellanic Sub-Antarctic ornithology: First Decade of Long-Term Bird Studies at the Omora Ethnobotanical Park, Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, Chile. University of North Texas Press, TX, USA. Close ).