Copyright: monacoeye • Regua, Brazil, September 2011 • Do not copy without permission.

Bird name: Slaty Bristlefront
Latin: Merulaxis ater
Other: Entufado (Br)
Family: Rhinocryptidae • Tapaculos
Range: Southeast Brazil Atlantic Forest
Similar:

Members of the Tapaculo family are usually easy to hear and difficult to see. So I was very pleased to get a photo of this Slaty Bristlefront at Regua, in north Rio de Janeiro state in September.

We climbed up a steep bank into the dark forest, and then waited patiently as the male Slaty Bristlefront made his way over to our playback. In addition to the lack of light there was a dense morning mist to contend with.

But although deceptively fleet-footed, he was not very shy, and walked up to about four metres away, calling as he went, as we watched in wonder. He also raised his neck feathers at one point (photo below).

The male, pictured, has a bluish head, neck and chest and brown wings, tail and rear. And tall bristles between the eyes.

A great bird, and the first of the Rhinocryptidae Tapaculo family that I’ve been able to photograph.

The Slaty Bristlefront is endemic to a fairly narrow strip of Atlantic rainforest in the east of Brazil. It is classed as Near Threatened in IUCN 3.1 due to habitat loss.

Below, a Slaty Bristlefront, at Regua in Guapi Assu.
More photos...

115 Rhinocryptidae - Tapaculos - IOC 2.5 - 2010

Acropternis orthonyx - Ocellated Tapaculo - NW Venezuela to NW Peru

Pteroptochos castaneus - Chestnut-throated Huet-huet - C Chile
Pteroptochos tarnii - Black-throated Huet-huet - C, S Chile, SW Argentina
Pteroptochos megapodius - Moustached Turca - N, C Chile

Scelorchilus albicollis - White-throated Tapaculo - N, C Chile
Scelorchilus rubecula - Chucao Tapaculo - S Chile

Rhinocrypta lanceolata - Crested Gallito - SC South America

Teledromas fuscus - Sandy Gallito - C Argentina

Liosceles thoracicus - Rusty-belted Tapaculo - W, SW Amazonia

Psilorhamphus guttatus - Spotted Bamboowren - SE South America

Merulaxis ater - Slaty Bristlefront - SE Brazil
Merulaxis stresemanni - Stresemann's Bristlefront - E Brazil

Eugralla paradoxa - Ochre-flanked Tapaculo - SC Chile, WC Argentina

Myornis senilis - Ash-colored Tapaculo - Colombia to Peru

Eleoscytalopus indigoticus - White-breasted Tapaculo - SE Brazil - Scytalopus indigoticus and S. psychopompus, to Eleoscytalopus
Eleoscytalopus psychopompus - Bahia Tapaculo - E Brazil

Scytalopus iraiensis - Marsh Tapaculo - S Brazil
Scytalopus speluncae - Mouse-colored Tapaculo - SE Brazil
Scytalopus notorius - Serra do Mar Tapaculo - SE Brazil - Split from S. speluncae
Scytalopus pachecoi - Planalto Tapaculo - S Brazil, Argentina - Scytalopus pachecoi new species
Scytalopus novacapitalis - Brasilia Tapaculo - S Brazil
Scytalopus bolivianus - Bolivian White-crowned Tapaculo - SE Peru to S Bolivia
Scytalopus atratus - Northern White-crowned Tapaculo - W Venezuela to C Peru
Scytalopus sanctaemartae - Santa Marta Tapaculo - N Colombia
Scytalopus femoralis - Rufous-vented Tapaculo - C Peru
Scytalopus micropterus - Long-tailed Tapaculo - Colombia to N Peru
Scytalopus vicinior - Narino Tapaculo - W Colombia to cw Ecuador
Scytalopus robbinsi - El Oro Tapaculo - SW Ecuador
Scytalopus chocoensis - Choco Tapaculo - E Panama to NW Ecuador
Scytalopus rodriguezi - Upper Magdalena Tapaculo - C Colombia - Scytalopus rodriguezi new species
Scytalopus stilesi - Stiles's Tapaculo - C Colombia - Scytalopus stilesi new species
Scytalopus panamensis - Tacarcuna Tapaculo - E Panama
Scytalopus argentifrons - Silvery-fronted Tapaculo - Costa Rica, Panama
Scytalopus caracae - Caracas Tapaculo - N Venezuela
Scytalopus meridanus - Merida Tapaculo - NW Venezuela - Merida Tapaculo includes Lara Tapaculo
Scytalopus latebricola - Brown-rumped Tapaculo - N Colombia
Scytalopus spillmanni - Spillmann's Tapaculo - Colombia to Ecuador
Scytalopus parkeri - Chusquea Tapaculo - S Ecuador, N Peru
Scytalopus parvirostris - Trilling Tapaculo - NC Peru to EC Bolivia
Scytalopus acutirostris - Tschudi's Tapaculo - C Peru
Scytalopus unicolor - Unicolored Tapaculo - WC Peru
Scytalopus griseicollis - Pale-bellied Tapaculo - C Colombia - NB name
Scytalopus canus - Paramillo Tapaculo - W Colombia - New name
Scytalopus opacus - Paramo Tapaculo - C Colombia, E Ecuador, N Peru - Split from S. canus
Scytalopus affinis - Ancash Tapaculo - W Peru
Scytalopus altirostris - Neblina Tapaculo - C Peru
Scytalopus urubambae - Vilcabamba Tapaculo - EC Peru
Scytalopus schulenbergi - Diademed Tapaculo - SE Peru to C Bolivia
Scytalopus simonsi - Puna Tapaculo - SE Peru to C Bolivia
Scytalopus zimmeri - Zimmer's Tapaculo - S Bolivia
Scytalopus superciliaris - White-browed Tapaculo - NW Argentina
Scytalopus magellanicus - Magellanic Tapaculo - C, S Chile, W Argentina
Scytalopus fuscus - Dusky Tapaculo - C Chile
Scytalopus latrans - Blackish Tapaculo - Colombia to Peru
Scytalopus macropus - Large-footed Tapaculo - Peru
Scytalopus diamantinensis - Diamantina Tapaculo - NE Brazil - Scytalopus diamantinensis new species