Guianan Woodcreeper

The Guianan woodcreeper, known scientifically as Lepidocolaptes albolineatus, is a modestly sized bird with a slender, down-curved bill. Both male and female exhibit similar plumage, characterized by a dusky brown face, crown, and nape, with fine buff spots on the crown that become sparser towards the nape and absent on the back. Their back and wing coverts are dark russet-brown, transitioning to a rufous-chestnut on the rump, wings, and tail, with blackish brown tips on the primaries. The throat is a plain buffy color, while the breast and belly are grayish brown to olive-brown with bold, pale buff to creamy white streaks edged in blackish. The undertail coverts are cinnamon-brown, and the underwing coverts range from cinnamon to ochraceous. The eyes are a dark brown to chestnut hue, and the legs and feet vary from brown or gray to pea-green. The bill is particularly distinctive, with a blackish or brown to dark horn-gray base and a pale horn to yellowish tip, while the mandible is whitish or pale gray to pinkish.

Identification Tips

Adult Guianan woodcreepers measure 17 to 19 cm in length, with males weighing between 19 to 24 grams and females slightly lighter at 18 to 20.5 grams. To identify this species, look for the streaked underparts, the russet to rufous-chestnut coloration of the wings and tail, and the distinctive bill coloration. Juveniles can be recognized by their darker upperparts, a grayer crown with more pronounced spots, and whiter, somewhat reduced streaks on the underparts.

Habitat

This species predominantly resides in terra firme and floodplain forests. It is less commonly found in swamp forests, flooded várzea forests, and savannas, and occasionally in semi-deciduous and gallery forests. It prefers the interior and edges of tall primary forests and mature secondary forests, rarely venturing into younger secondary growth.

Distribution

The Guianan woodcreeper is native to northern Amazonia, including eastern Venezuelan states, the Guianas, and northern Brazil north of the Amazon River, extending from the Rio Negro to the Atlantic Ocean.

Behaviour

The Guianan woodcreeper is a year-round resident within its range. It typically forages alone or in pairs and is known to join mixed-species feeding flocks. Its foraging behavior includes hitching along branches, often on their underside, and is mostly observed in the forest's sub-canopy and canopy, with occasional forays into the middle levels, but rarely in the understory.

Song & calls

The song of the Guianan woodcreeper is a soft trill that rises and falls in pitch, trailing off at the end. It comprises a series of 20–40 notes and lasts approximately 2–3 seconds.

Breeding

Breeding occurs during the Guianan dry season, from roughly July to September. There is limited information on their breeding biology, but at least one known nest was located in a cavity near the top of a dead stump, lined with bark chips, and fledged at least two young.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the Guianan woodcreeper consists primarily of arthropods. It employs various foraging techniques such as picking, probing, and prying off bark flakes to extract its prey. It also probes vegetation like epiphytes and occasionally makes sallies after airborne prey.

Conservation status

The IUCN has classified the Guianan woodcreeper as Least Concern. It has a large range and is believed to be uncommon to fairly common throughout its range. Although the population size is not well-documented and is thought to be decreasing, there are no immediate threats identified. However, due to its reliance on forest habitats, it is likely to be highly sensitive to habitat modification.