Pale-bellied Tapaculo (Scytalopus griseicollis) [XC18473]
by Myornis from Lepipuerto, Serrania de los Yariguies, Colombia (song)
Pale-bellied Tapaculo (Scytalopus griseicollis) [XC586676]
by Juan Sebasti\u00e1n Le\u00f3n Lleras from Bogot\u00e1, Cerros orientales, Pico \u00c1guila, Senderos NE a SE de Monserrate, Colombia (song)
Previously considered a subspecies of Magellanic Tapaculo (Scytalopus magellanicus). Owing to lack of vocal data, Lara Tapaculo (Scytalopus fuscicauda) has sometimes been treated as conspecific, but this treatment is believed unlikely to be appropriate because of its isolated geographical distribution. Subspecies infasciatus was formerly considered variously as a synonym of nominate subspecies of present species, or of Merida Tapaculo (Scytalopus meridanus), or as a subspecies of Brown-rumped Tapaculo (Scytalopus latebricola). Recently proposed status as a full species, but vocalizations now found to be confusingly similar to those of nominate subspecies of present species, so further study is required in order to establish its taxonomic status.
The following 4 subspecies are recognised:
infasciatus Chapman, 1915 - Eastern Andes of Colombia (precise range uncertain, type from Páramo de Beltrán). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Colombia Tapaculo (Scytalopus infasciatus).
griseicollis (Lafresnaye, 1840) - Eastern Andes of central Colombia (Cundinamarca and Boyacá).
gilesi Donegan & Avendaño, 2008 - Andes of northern Colombia (Serranía de los Yariguíes, Santander).
morenoi Avendaño & Donegan, 2015 - Northern eastern Andes of Colombia (northern Santander and Norte de Santander) and Andes of Venezuela.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet