Tooth-billed Wren
Odontorchilus cinereus
Slender, inconspicuous wren with a long tail, recalling a gnatcatcher. Has rather dull plumage: gray above, very pale grayish below, with a brownish crown. Note the dark bars on the tail. Forages high in the canopy of humid forests and almost invariably accompanies mixed-species flocks. Sings a loud series of “tsee” notes repeated continually.
Identification
The tooth-billed wren is 12 cm (4.7 in) long; one male weighed 11 g (0.39 oz). Adults have a grayish cinnamon crown, a grayish brown face, and a medium gray back. their throat and breast are buffy gray, the belly pale buff, and the flanks grayish white. The juvenile looks essentially the same.
Taxonomy
The tooth-billed wren shares its genus with one other species, the grey-mantled wren (Odontorchilus branickii). Some authors have suggested that they are conspecific or that they form a superspecies. The tooth-billed wren is monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Odontorchilus cinereus
- Authority
- (Pelzeln, 1868)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Troglodytidae
- Genus
- Odontorchilus
Range and habitat
The tooth-billed wren is found mostly in Brazil but its range extends slightly into Bolivia's Santa Cruz Department. It is found south of the Amazon River between the Madeira River on the west and the Xingú River on the east. It inhabits tall humid lowland forest at elevations up to 600 m (2,000 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The tooth-billed wren's diet is not known in detail, but the species is insectivorous. It forages in the canopy, 15 to 30 m (49 to 98 ft) above ground, exploring and probing the foliage along branches and in vine tangles. It usually is part of a mixed-species foraging flock.<p>The tooth-billed wren's breeding season appears to span from June to September based on dates when active nests, dependent juveniles, and physiological evidence have been observed. It nests in a cavity in a limb or trunk high above the ground. The clutch size is believed to be two.<p>The tooth-billed wren's typical song is "a short, simple trill" [1]; both sexes sing it.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Ash-colored Cuckoo
Coccycua cinerea
Nondescript and retiring cuckoo with a pale ashy-brown back and pale underparts. Note the thin white tail tips and red eyering and iris. An austral migrant. Usually found in dry woodlands, scrub, savannas, gallery forests, and also in the borders of humid moist forests in the nonbreeding season. The song is a series of “cow-w cow-w cow cow” notes.
South Island Wren
Xenicus gilviventris
A perky, upright wren restricted to alpine regions in the South Island of New Zealand. Has a very short tail and rounded wings, but distinctive long legs and toes. Male is a mossy green above and pale gray below, with noticeable yellow flanks and a creamy eyebrow. Female has duller plumage. Stance is often erect; constantly bobs up and down, flicking its wings, before hopping and running. Flies very short distances. Seen out in the open in rocky boulder fields, hence its common New Zealand name of “rock wren.” Gives a high-pitched three-note call which travels well in the open alpine terrain. Pairs will sometimes duet.
Rufous-tailed Xenops
Microxenops milleri
Small xenops of mature rainforest. Extensively streaked, tan body, with contrasting reddish wings and tail. Has a strong white eyebrow and lacks the bold white mustache of other xenopses. Compared to other xenopses, also has a straighter bill, and shorter tail. Creeps along branches like a nuthatch, often with mixed-species flocks. Fairly rare in most areas; most common in upland areas, but can also be found in seasonally flooded areas in smaller numbers.
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