Loja Tapaculo

The Loja tapaculo (Scytalopus androstictus) is a species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae that the South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society (AOS) accepted as a new species in July 2020. It had been classified as a subspecies of paramo tapaculo (Scytalopus opacus). It is found in Ecuador and Peru. == Taxonomy and systematics == The taxonomy of the Loja tapaculo is complicated. Scytalopus canus (now the paramillo tapaculo) and S. opacus (now the paramo tapaculo) were originally thought to be subspecies of either S. magellanicus (Magellanic tapaculo) or S. unicolor (unicolor tapaculo). Both were eventually reclassified as species, and what is now the Loja tapaculo was considered a subspecies of paramo tapaculo. A detailed study of these several related taxa found significant vocal, genetic, and morphological differences among them. Based on these data, the South American Classification Committee of the AOS elevated S. opacus androstictus to species status in July 2020. The International Ornithological Congress (IOC) followed suit in January 2021 and the Clements taxonomy in August 2021. == Description == The Loja tapaculo is approximately 10.5 cm (4.1 in) long. Males weigh 13.9 to 17.9 g (0.49 to 0.63 oz) and females 13.4 to 16…