Striated Earthcreeper
Geocerthia serrana
Handsome bird with a long, curved bill found only in the high Andes of northern and central Peru. It is brown with chestnut wings and tail, heavily streaked underparts, and white eyebrows. Inhabits areas with dense cover to hide in, but often ventures out into the open to feed. While largely terrestrial, it often perches higher, especially to sing. Gives a variety of harsh, rattling vocalizations.
Identification
The striated earchcreeper is 18 to 20.5 cm (7.1 to 8.1 in) long and weighs 41 to 52 g (1.4 to 1.8 oz). It is a large earthcreeper with long slightly decurved bill. The sexes' plumages are alike. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a whitish buff supercilium. Their crown is dusky brown with narrow whitish buff streaks on the forehead. The sides of their neck and their back are dark brown; the neck has thin whitish buff streaks. Their rump is dark rufous brown. Their tail is dull rufous; sometimes the central pair of feathers are browner. Their wings are rufous. Their throat is dirty white with some dusky scaling and their breast and belly dull gray brown or olive brown with whitish buff streaks. Their iris is any of several dark shades of brown, their bill black or horn, and their legs and feet gray or brown. Juveniles have a scaled appearance on their breast and faint bars on their upper belly. Subspecies G. s. huancavelicae has much darker upperparts than the nominate, and darker and grayer underparts with little warm brown.
Taxonomy
The striated earthcreeper was long placed in genus Upucerthia with several other earthcreepers. Genetic studies in the early 2000s refuted that placement and genus Geocerthia was created for it.<p>The striated earthcreeper has two subspecies, the nominate G. s. serrana (Taczanowski, 1875) and G. s. huancavelicae (Morrison, ARG, 1938).
- Scientific name
- Geocerthia serrana
- Authority
- (Taczanowski, 1875)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Furnariidae
- Genus
- Geocerthia
Range and habitat
The nominate subspecies of the striated earthcreeper is found in the Andes of northern and central Peru from the Department of Cajamarca south to the departments of Lima and Junín. Subspecies G. s. huancavelicae is found only in the southern Peruvian Andes of the Department of Huancavelica.<p>The striated earthcreeper inhabits areas of denser woody vegetation than most other earthcreepers. It mostly occurs in arid montane scrublands, on rocky slopes with bushes, and in Polylepis woodlands. In elevation it mostly ranges between 3,000 and 4,600 m (9,800 and 15,100 ft) but occurs locally below that.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Cundinamarca Antpitta
Grallaria kaestneri
A rather plain antpitta known only from a small area of Colombia’s eastern Andes, southeast of Bogotá. Plumage is dull brown with small white streaks on the underparts, a slightly paler belly, and a faint eyering. Distinguished from Tawny Antpitta by its much darker plumage, streaked (not scaled) underparts, and habitat preferences. Inhabits cloud forest understory, and mostly stays on the ground, though may come up to a low perch to sing. Song is three short whistles that ascend slightly in pitch.
Cape Wagtail
Motacilla capensis
Elegant, long-tailed bird with a brownish back, pale underparts, and a black chest band. White outer tail is conspicuous in flight. Found in most open habitats, especially those near water. Feeds by walking along the ground, bobbing its tail constantly. Call is a buzzy “tseeei” that is often doubled. Song is a complex jumble of different repeated notes. Similar to Mountain Wagtail but has brown rather than gray upperparts, and Cape has less white in the wings and tail. Also similar to juvenile African Pied Wagtail but lacks a white panel in the wing.
Rufous-backed Stipplethroat
Epinecrophylla haematonota
Scarce antwren found mainly in lowland rainforest, but ranges up into mountains in the northern part of its range. Male has mostly gray underparts, black-and-white spots on throat, and whitish or tan spots and bars on wings; back color varies geographically from brown to chestnut. Female is brown, lacks throat markings, and has less distinct wing markings. Dull brown tail distinguishes it from Rufous-tailed Stipplethroat. Male’s checkered throat and female’s lack of throat markings help separate it from Ornate Stipplethroat. Almost always encountered in mixed-species understory flocks with antshrikes and other antwrens. Song is a high-pitched, descending trill; also often gives a dry rattle.
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