Ruddy Woodcreeper
Dendrocincla homochroa
Uncommon, medium-sized woodcreeper of humid tropical forest; rarely seen away from army ant swarms. Found singly or in twos and threes, often with Tawny-winged and Northern Barred Woodcreepers at army ant swarms. Mainly perches upright on slender trunks fairly low to the ground, less often at middle levels; often rather sluggish. Overall bright ruddy plumage in combination with behavior is distinctive; also note the pale grayish eyering. Usually rather quiet; at times gives plaintive mew calls and a chipping rattled song.
Identification
The ruddy woodcreeper is 17.5 to 20.5 cm (6.9 to 8.1 in) long. Males weigh 34 to 45 g (1.2 to 1.6 oz) and females 27 to 39 g (0.95 to 1.4 oz). The species is a medium-sized member of its genus, with a straight bill, a short tail, and a large head with a ruffled nape. The sexes have the same plumage. The nominate subspecies has dark rufous to chestnut-brown upperparts with a brighter reddish crown. Its wings, uppertail coverts, and tail are rufous chestnut. The tips of its primaries are dusky. It has grayish lores and eyering and a cinnamon-buff to tawny-ochraceous throat. Its underparts are rufous brown with a paler belly and more rufous undertail coverts. Its underwing coverts are pale rufous. Its iris is reddish brown to pale chestnut-brown and its legs and feet pale grayish to grayish brown. Its bill is highly variable; it can be dusky brownish, grayish, dull pinkish with a blackish tip, or all black.<p>Subspecies D. h. acedesta is larger, darker, and more olive than the nominate and its throat and belly are not as pale. D. h. ruficeps is slightly larger than acedesta, has a heavier bill, and is slightly paler overall. D. h. meridionalis has a darker chestnut crown and darker and more olive-brown upperparts than the other three subspecies.
Taxonomy
The ruddy woodcreeper has these four subspecies:<p>Subspecies D. h. acedesta has sometimes been merged into the nominate D. h. homochroa.
- Scientific name
- Dendrocincla homochroa
- Authority
- (Sclater, PL, 1860)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Furnariidae
- Genus
- Dendrocincla
Range and habitat
The subspecies of the ruddy woodcreeper are found thus:<p>The ruddy woodcreeper inhabits a variety of forest landscapes including lowland deciduous forest, rainforest, cloudforest, and gallery forest. It favors the interior of mature primary and secondary forest but also occurs at their edges, in younger secondary forest, and in semi-open areas with some trees. It is generally a bird of lowlands and foothills. At the northernmost edge of its range it occurs at elevations between 1,300 and 1,550 m (4,300 and 5,100 ft). In northern Central America it occurs as high as 1,650 m (5,400 ft) but is most common between 300 and 1,200 m (1,000 and 3,900 ft). In Costa Rica it mostly occurs between 500 and 1,200 m (1,600 and 3,900 ft) and in Panama between 300 and 900 m (1,000 and 3,000 ft). It is typically below 1,500 m (4,900 ft) in Colombia and below 450 m (1,500 ft) in Venezuela.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The ruddy woodcreeper is mostly a year-round resident throughout its range. It may wander from higher elevations in Central America and might be somewhat nomadic in northwestern Costa Rica.<p>The ruddy woodcreeper is a near-obligate follower of army ant swarms but occasionally joins mixed-species feeding flocks away from them. It typically clings to a trunk up to 10 m (33 ft) above the ground and makes short flights to capture arthropod prey disturbed by the ants. It does not feed on the ants themselves. It does occasionally forage in epiphytes. Usually one or two birds attend the ant swarms.<p>The ruddy woodcreeper's breeding season varies somewhat geographically but falls between March and June. It nests in cavities in a stump or a tree or palm trunk. It adds bark and other fibers to the bottom of the cavity, and first builds up deep ones with moss or leaves. The clutch size is two or three eggs. The incubation period, time to fledging, and details of parental care are not known.<p>The ruddy woodcreeper seldom vocalizes. It does make a "rattle, churring or slightly slurred" song and a variety of calls including "churring, a squeaky 'quink' or 'peach', and a nasal, descending 'deeeeah' or 'tee tee eu' ".
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Northern Plain-Xenops
Xenops mexicanus
Active small bird of humid tropical forest. Usually found singly, often moving with mixed-species feeding flocks. Clambers and climbs on small branches, twigs, and vines, mainly at middle to upper levels inside forest. Often hangs upside down like a chickadee. Note the bold white whisker mark, boldly patterned black-and-rusty wings and tail, and short, wedge-shaped bill. Where range overlaps with Streaked Xenops, note the much plainer plumage in Northern Plain. Song is a short, high, liquid trill.
Sooty-capped Babbler
Malacopteron affine
Bland, unremarkable-looking medium-sized babbler of open forest, forest edges, clearings, brushy riparian, and overgrown margins of cultivation in lowland and foothill areas. Extremely generic-looking, with no bright colors, a medium-length tail, and an average bill. Evenly-proportioned body gives it a rather bulbul-like outline. Note unmarked gray face, dark gray crown, dark rufous tail, and faint brownish wash on the chest. Especially similar to Moustached Babbler, but note present species’ darker crown, plain face (no moustache), and more slender bill. Scaly-crowned is also similar, but has a bright rufous patch on the forecrown. Plainly-colored Pellorneum babblers can be confusing, but note differences in proportions and profile. Most frequently-heard song is a beautiful but eerily human-like rising series of even whistles; when duetting, one bird often gives explosive “wik!” calls in response. Also gives a quicker, more cheery, and less human-like version of the song, as well as a short melancholy up-and-down series of whistles.
Rosy Pipit
Anthus roseatus
An elegant, well-marked pipit that breeds in montane regions,but descends down into meadows and agricultural fields in the winter. Breeding adult is unmistakable with a soft pink throat and breast. Nonbreeding adults and immature birds lack the pink breast, but have a thick creamy white brow and mustache stripe, as well as thick blotchy streaking on the breast. Buff-bellied and Red-throated Pipits are also strongly marked on the breast, but both have much weaker brow patterns than Rosy Pipit. Gives a squeaky “tseep!”. Sings repetitive high-pitched song from the ground and while in the air.
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