Cocoa Woodcreeper

The cocoa woodcreeper, a medium-sized bird within the genus Xiphorhynchus, boasts a long, fairly heavy, and slightly decurved bill. Exhibiting sexual monomorphism, both males and females share the same plumage characteristics. This species is adorned with a dusky face featuring buff streaks and a whitish supercilium, while the crown and nape present dark brown to blackish hues with buff spots. The upper back and wing coverts are olive-brown to brown, transitioning to rufous-chestnut on the lower back, rump, tail, and flight feathers. The underparts range from grayish olive to buffy brown, with the breast displaying dusky-edged buffy white spots that fade towards the belly.

Identification Tips

To identify the cocoa woodcreeper, look for its distinctive long bill and the buff streaks on its dusky face. The bird's upperparts are olive-brown to brown with buff streaks, and the rufous-chestnut coloration of the lower back, rump, tail, and flight feathers is a key feature. The throat is whitish to pale buff with black scaling, and the underparts exhibit a reddish-brown color that intensifies near the undertail coverts.

Habitat

The cocoa woodcreeper predominantly resides in humid evergreen forests, including gallery forests, deciduous woodlands, and the peripheries of primary and mature secondary forests. It is less commonly found in primary forest interiors, young secondary forests, plantations, and open areas with scattered trees. Coastal mangroves and arid scrub on Isla Margarita also serve as habitats for this species.

Distribution

This bird is found across a range of countries, including Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. Its subspecies are distributed in specific regions, from the Caribbean and Pacific slopes of Central America to the northern parts of South America and the islands off the Venezuelan coast.

Behaviour

The cocoa woodcreeper is a permanent resident throughout its range. It forages alone or in mixed-species flocks and is known to follow army ant swarms. Its foraging behavior includes hitching up trunks and along branches, gleaning from bark crevices, and probing various substrates for prey.

Song & Calls

The cocoa woodcreeper is quite vocal, especially during breeding seasons, with a song comprising a series of clear, upward-inflected whistles. It also produces a "long call" resembling rolling laughter, along with other calls such as "cheer," "pyewl," "chu," and "choe."

Breeding

Breeding season varies geographically but typically falls within May to August. The cocoa woodcreeper nests in natural cavities or sometimes human structures, lining them with plant material. Clutch size is generally two eggs, with an incubation period of 19 to 20 days and a fledging time of at least 17 days.

Similar Species

The cocoa woodcreeper may be confused with other woodcreeper species, but its size, bill shape, and specific plumage details can help differentiate it.

Diet and Feeding

Its diet consists mainly of arthropods, with occasional small vertebrates like frogs and lizards. The bird employs various foraging techniques, including gleaning and probing, and is known to forage at different forest levels depending on whether it is alone or with flocks.

Conservation status

The IUCN has classified the cocoa woodcreeper as Least Concern. Despite its large range and substantial population, there is a noted decline in numbers. However, it is generally considered fairly common to common in most of its range, with some preference for forest edges and secondary growth, indicating a moderate resilience to human disturbance.