Bird Album
Moustached Turca
Pteroptochos megapodius Kittlitz, 1830
22 cmLength114 gWeight
The moustached turca (Pteroptochos megapodius) is a passerine bird which is endemic to Chile and belongs to the tapaculo family Rhinocryptidae.
Busiest months: October · Most records: Chile
Where and when it's recorded
Moustached Turca has been recorded at 26 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- SN Laguna BatucoChile917 records
- Parque Natural Aguas de RamónChile425 records
- Parque Público Comunitario PanulChile399 records
More places
- PN La Campana – OcoaChile381 records
- Parque MahuidaChile377 records
- Quebrada de MaculChile349 records
- Camino a La Parva – Vegas y PastizalesChile280 records
- FarellonesChile272 records
- SN Humedal Salinas de Pullally y Dunas de Longotoma – DesembocaduraChile197 records
- SN Humedal de Tunquén – Desembocadura Estero CasablancaChile184 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The moustached turca (Pteroptochos megapodius) is a passerine bird which is endemic to Chile and belongs to the tapaculo family Rhinocryptidae. Common names of this species include "Turco" or "Turca". It is a terrestrial bird that burrows its nest on steep hillsides and uses flight for short distances.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Moustached Turca?
The Moustached Turca is about 22 cm long and weighs around 114 g.
Where does the Moustached Turca live?
Its breeding range: South America: northern, central Chile. It is most often recorded in Chile.
When is the best time to see the Moustached Turca?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in October (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Moustached Turca endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Moustached Turca as Least Concern.
What does the Moustached Turca eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Moustached Turca in?
It belongs to the family Tapaculos (Rhinocryptidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Length
- 22 cm
- Weight
- 114 g
- Habitat
- Shrubland
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 98 mm
- Tail
- 79 mm
- Bill
- 22 mm
- Tarsus
- 42 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
South America: northern, central Chile
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Passerines Passeriformes
- Family
- Tapaculos Rhinocryptidae
- Genus
- Pteroptochos
Other birds in the genus Pteroptochos
Chestnut-throated Huet-huetPteroptochos castaneus
Black-throated Huet-huetPteroptochos tarnii
Ocellated TapaculoAcropternis orthonyx
White-throated TapaculoScelorchilus albicollis
Chucao TapaculoScelorchilus rubecula
Crested GallitoRhinocrypta lanceolata
Sandy GallitoTeledromas fuscus
Rusty-belted TapaculoLiosceles thoracicus
Spotted BamboowrenPsilorhamphus guttatus
Slaty BristlefrontMerulaxis ater
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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by jorgevalenzuelae. ↗
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