Great Rufous Woodcreeper
Xiphocolaptes major
Very large woodcreeper with a massive, robust bill. Plumage is rather uniformly cinnamon with some faint streaking on the breast. Note the black lores. Found in dry forest, woodland, and gallery forest. Sings a slightly descending series of double notes: “hick-up, hick-up, hick-up.” Other woodcreepers within its range are much smaller, with streaked or spotted plumage.
Identification
The great rufous woodcreeper is the largest, though not the heaviest, member of its subfamily. It is heavy-bodied with a long, heavy, somewhat decurved bill. It is 27 to 34 cm (11 to 13 in) long. Males weigh 120 to 150 g (4.2 to 5.3 oz) and females 120 to 162 g (4.2 to 5.7 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies X. m. major are almost entirely bright rufous-cinnamon. Their crown is slightly darker, their tail more chestnut, and their flight feathers reddish brown with dusky tips on the primaries. Their lores are blackish, their throat pale cinnamon with whitish buff streaks, and their underparts cinnamon with some buffy streaks on the breast and dusky brownish bars on the belly. Their iris is dark brown, rich red-brown, or crimson. Their bill is pale, from horn colored to horn-white, and their legs and feet dark grayish olive, greenish, or bluish gray. Juveniles are generally brighter overall than adults, especially on their underparts; they have stronger streaks on the breast but weaker ones on the crown. <p>Subspecies X. m. remoratus has darker upperparts than the nominate, with less reddish underparts that are more heavily streaked and barred. X. m. castaneus is darker overall than the nominate, with a more brownish head, deeper chestnut upperparts, and less streaking and barring on the underparts. X. m. estebani is overall much lighter than the nominate but otherwise similar.
Taxonomy
The great rufous woodcreeper has these four subspecies:
- Scientific name
- Xiphocolaptes major
- Authority
- (Vieillot, 1818)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Furnariidae
- Genus
- Xiphocolaptes
Range and habitat
The subspecies of the great rufous woodcreeper are found thus:<p>The great rufous woodcreeper inhabits a variety of forest landscapes including dry woodland, semi-deciduous woodland, gallery forest, and Gran Chaco woodland. It also occurs in scrubby forest, cerrado, and wooded savanna. It favors the forest interior but occasionally occurs at its edges. In elevation it mostly occurs below 1,500 m (4,900 ft) but reaches as high as 1,800 m (5,900 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
White-tailed Alethe
Alethe diademata
A forest skulker with clean-cut pale underparts, a gray wash on the side of the breast and face, and rusty brown upperparts and central crown. The tail has distinctive white tips to the outer feathers. Juvenile is heavily spotted above. A shy and inconspicuous resident in the dense understory of lowland and mid-altitude forest up to 1500 meters, found singly and in pairs; several individuals may follow ant swarms, where they lose their fear of humans. Sings a loud musical 3–4 note “whooo-wheet-whooee” and similar melodic notes; also gives harsh “chht” calls.
Arctic Tern
Sterna paradisaea
Elegant seabird with extremely long wings and forked tail. Adults are pale gray with white cheek, black cap, and red bill and legs. Very similar to Common Tern; note shorter bill, shorter legs, gray belly, and paler gray wingtips with very limited dark tips. Young birds show partial black cap and black bill and legs; look for pale gray wingtips and stubbier legs to separate from Common Tern. Rarely seen away from breeding grounds on coastal islands or small ponds in the Arctic tundra. Migrates offshore, heading for wintering grounds in Southern Hemisphere.
Elegant Crescentchest
Melanopareia elegans
A striking little bird, shaped like a robust gnatcatcher. Note the bold black-and-buff head pattern, black chest fading to rufous flanks, and bright rufous on the wings. Tail is long and narrow. Unmistakable if seen well, but compare with Marañon Crescentchest, which has silvery wing edges and more richly-colored underparts. Secretive; singles or pairs skulk in dense thickets and understory of dry woodland and second growth, up to 2,300 m. More often detected by song; listen for a series of loud, popping chip notes.
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