Tapaculos (Rhinocryptidae)

Maranon Crescentchest (Melanopareia maranonica) - HBW 8, p. 786

French: Cordon-noir du Maranon German: Großer Schmuckbandvogel Spanish: Pecholuna del Marañón

Taxonomy: Melanopareia maranonicus Chapman, 1924, Perico, Río Chinchipe, north Peru.
Genus differs considerably from other members of family, though shows certain structural similarities with Teledromas (see page 748). May form a superspecies with M. elegans. Vocally very similar to latter, and sometimes considered conspecific, but is proportionally longer-tailed, with distinct plumage pattern, and geographically isolated. Monotypic.

Distribution: R Marañón watershed in extreme S Ecuador (S Zamora-Chinchipe) and N Peru (Cajamarca).