Plain-winged Woodcreeper

The Plain-winged Woodcreeper, known scientifically as Dendrocincla turdina, is a medium-sized bird within the genus Dendrocincla. It boasts a short, straight bill and exhibits sexual dimorphism in size, with females being notably smaller than males. The bird's plumage is primarily olive-brown, with faint buff streaks adorning the crown, a pale buff throat, and slightly rufescent flight feathers, uppertail coverts, and tail feathers. The wing linings are an ochraceous buff, while the iris is brown, the bill ranges from grey to blackish, and the legs and feet are brown to grey.

Identification Tips

To identify the Plain-winged Woodcreeper, look for its olive-brown plumage with faint buff streaks on the crown and pale buff throat. The bird's short, straight bill and the slight rufescence on its flight feathers are also key characteristics. Males are larger than females, which can be a helpful distinction in the field.

Habitat

This species is found in humid lowland primary and mature secondary forests, as well as foothill cloud forests and gallery forests within the cerrado. It prefers the forest interior but can also be found at forest edges.

Distribution

The Plain-winged Woodcreeper inhabits regions from Brazil's Bahia state south to northern Rio Grande do Sul, extending slightly into eastern Paraguay and north-eastern Argentina's Misiones Province. The subspecies D. t. taunayi is located in north-eastern Brazil's Alagoas and Pernambuco states.

Behaviour

The Plain-winged Woodcreeper is generally a year-round resident, although some southern populations may migrate during the austral winter. It is known to follow swarms of army ants to feed on prey disturbed by the ants' activity and is often seen as part of mixed-species feeding flocks.

Song & calls

The nominate subspecies sings a series of very high "keepkeepkeep---" notes that undulate, fade, and crescendo randomly, sometimes lasting over a minute. The subspecies D. t. taunayi's song starts with quiet harsh "weck" notes, increasing in volume to "wheep" notes before trailing off. Calls include a "cha-a-a-a" rattle, "chahh" hiss, and "stauf."

Breeding

The breeding season for the Plain-winged Woodcreeper is not well defined but includes at least September to January. Nesting occurs in tree cavities on a bed of wood chips, with a clutch size of two eggs. The female incubates the eggs and cares for the nestlings alone. Fledging occurs about 27 days after hatching.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the Plain-winged Woodcreeper consists mostly of arthropods, but it has also been observed feeding bats and frogs to its nestlings. It captures prey by sallying from a perch on a nearly vertical trunk, picking off prey from the ground, other trunks, foliage, and even in mid-air.

Conservation status

The IUCN has assessed the Plain-winged Woodcreeper as Least Concern, though its population size is unknown and believed to be decreasing. The species is highly sensitive to habitat fragmentation and human disturbance, with declines likely due to deforestation. It remains fairly common in extensive tracts within its Brazilian range, but is rare to uncommon in Argentina, Paraguay, and Rio Grande do Sul.