The crescentchests (Melanopareiidae) are a family of four species, formerly classified as tapaculos. Their plumage is striking with a distinctive band across the chest that gives the group their name.

The crescentchests are birds of arid scrub. They generally forage on the ground, but their diet has not yet been recorded. Two species, the Collared Crescentchest and Olive-crowned Crescentchest, are widely distributed across central and southern Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and northern Argentina, whilst the other two species, the Elegant Crescentchest and Marañón Crescentchest, have a more restricted distribution in Peru and Ecuador.