Duida Woodcreeper
Lepidocolaptes duidae
Medium-sized woodcreeper with a slender, curved bill. Combination of bill shape and unstreaked upperparts separate it from other woodcreepers. It is one of several species formerly known as Lineated Woodcreeper, all of which look very similar but have different voices and ranges. Duida Woodcreeper is known from eastern Ecuador, northeastern Peru, northwestern Brazil, eastern Venezuela, and near the southern and eastern borders of Colombia. Song is a series of whistles that decreases in pitch and accelerates near the end. Inhabits canopy of lowland and foothill rainforest, and often joins mixed-species flocks.
Identification
The Duida woodcreeper is 17 to 19 cm (6.7 to 7.5 in) long; males weigh 24 to 25 g (0.85 to 0.88 oz). It is a smallish, slim, woodcreeper with a slim decurved bill. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults' face, crown, and nape are dusky brown with few or no spots on the crown. Their back and wing coverts are dark russet-brown, and their rump, wings, and tail rufous-chestnut with blackish brown tips on the primaries. Their throat is plain buffy. Their breast and belly are grayish brown to olive-brown with bold, blackish-edged, pale buff to creamy white streaks. Juveniles have darker upperparts than adults, a grayer crown with some spots, and whiter, somewhat reduced, streaks on the underparts.
Taxonomy
Until the 2010s what is now the Duida woodcreeper was considered a subspecies of Lepidocolaptes albolineatus, which was then called the lineated woodcreeper. Starting at that time all but the lineated's nominate subspecies were split from it, eventually resulting in the Duida woodcreeper (L. duidae), the Inambari woodcreeper (L. fatimalimae), the dusky-capped woodcreeper (L. fuscicapillus), and a monotypic L. albolineatus which was renamed the Guianan woodcreeper.<p>The Duida woodcreeper is monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Lepidocolaptes duidae
- Authority
- Zimmer, JT, 1934
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Furnariidae
- Genus
- Lepidocolaptes
Range and habitat
The Duida woodcreeper is found in the northwestern Amazon Basin of southern Venezuela, eastern Ecuador, northeastern Peru, and Brazil north of the Rio Solimões (upper Amazon River) and west of the Rio Negro. Worldwide taxonomic systems also include eastern Colombia in its range, but the South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society lists it as hypothetical there, because all of the reports are undocumented sight records. The Duida woodcreeper mostly inhabits terra firme and floodplain forest. It occurs less often in swamp forest and flooded várzea forest. It favors the interior and edges of tall primary forest and mature secondary forest and is found only rarely in younger secondary forest. It elevation it seldom exceeds 1,000 m (3,300 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The Duida woodcreeper is believed to be a year-round resident throughout its range.<p>The Duida woodcreeper's diet is primarily arthropods. It usually forages singly or in pairs, and often joins mixed-species feeding flocks. It hitches along branches, often on their underside, mostly in the forest's sub-canopy and canopy, occasionally in the middle levels, and rarely if ever in the understory. It takes most of its prey from bark, by picking, probing, and prying off flakes. It also sometimes probes vegetation like epiphytes but only infrequently sallies after airborne prey.<p>Almost nothing is known about the Duida woodcreeper's breeding biology. There is evidence both for and against its breeding season including April.<p>The Duida woodcreeper's song differs from those of its former conspecifics; their songs were among the strongest evidence for their separation. The Duida woodcreeper sings "8–12 notes in 2·5 seconds with a somewhat bouncing, thin and high-pitched quality, described as 'peer, peer, peer, pi, pi, pi, pi, pi, pi, pu, pu, peu' or 'pe-pee-pee-pee-peer-peer-peer-pear' ".
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Long-billed Bush Warbler
Locustella major
Extremely rare, large, elongated brown warbler with a long slender bill. Fairly similar in appearance to West Himalayan, Chinese, Baikal, and Spotted Bush Warblers, but breeding ranges do not overlap. Like other bush warblers, typically very skulking and furtive, preferring to run instead of fly when threatened. Emerges onto small bushes to sing, producing a dull clicking that would underwhelm a grasshopper. Breeds in weedy and bushy slopes in open alpine and subalpine areas; wintering habitat poorly understood but presumed to be similar habitat at lower altitudes. Very few sightings in recent years.
Comoro Blue-Pigeon
Alectroenas sganzini
Medium-sized chunky pigeon that is dark blue with a pale gray hood. Appears short-tailed in flight. Found in rainforest, secondary habitat, and plantations, and locally in dry coastal scrub. Most common at higher elevations in most of its range. Most often seen perched up conspicuously on emergent trees, feeding on fruiting trees, or in flight in small flocks. The common vocalization is a quick series of low hoots or growls. Dark blue coloration and pale head separate it from all other pigeons in its range.
Malagasy Brush-Warbler
Nesillas typica
Medium-sized brown bird with a long, spiky tail. Found in a wide variety of moist and woody habitats, including rainforest, wet scrub, plantations, and gardens. Absent or very local in much of west and southwest Madagascar. Skulks in thick undergrowth. Incessantly given call is a Geiger counter-like ticking. Darker brown than Subdesert Brush-Warbler, with a lower-pitched call and little overlap in range. Similar to Madagascar Swamp-Warbler, but has less distinct breast streaking and white eyebrow, and is generally found in scrub rather than marsh.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.