Tyrannine Woodcreeper

Overview

The tyrannine woodcreeper (Dendrocincla tyrannina) is a species of bird in the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, although its population is believed to be decreasing.

Identification

• Size and plumage: A larger and heavier member of its genus, measuring 23 to 26.5 cm in length, with warm brown to olive-brown plumage that may feature faint buff streaks on the head and a rufescent cast to the wings and tail.
• Bill and legs: Possesses a large bill with a brownish gray to black maxilla and a brownish to bluish gray mandible, paired with gray to blackish legs and feet.
• Vocalization: Characterised by a long stuttered rattle that increases in pitch and volume, along with a fast phrase of 3-6 sharp, abrupt notes such as 'di-di-di-di-dik!' and a hollow, whistled 'que-up'.

Habitat

Found in the Andes of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela, this species inhabits humid temperate, subtropical, and tropical montane forests. It favours the interior of primary forest but can also be found at the edges and in mature secondary forest, typically within an elevational range of 1,310 to 3,100 m.

Diet

The diet is not specifically detailed but is assumed to consist mostly of insects. The bird forages singly or in mixed-species flocks, hitching itself to trunks and branches to make brief sallies for prey in the air rather than taking it directly from the substrate, usually between 2 and 15 m above the ground.

Did you know?

Despite its name, the tyrannine woodcreeper seldom follows army ant swarms, a behaviour commonly associated with many other forest birds in the region. It is also considered highly sensitive to human disturbance in areas where habitat loss is extensive.