Scaled Woodcreeper

Overview

The Lepidocolaptes squamatus is a medium-sized bird belonging to the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is endemic to Brazil, where two subspecies occupy different habitats across the country.

Identification

• Length 19 to 20 cm with a slim, somewhat decurved bill; plumage is identical in both sexes.
• Nominate subspecies features a dusky face with whitish streaks, a broken whitish supercilium, and a dark brown crown spotted with buff.
• Back is bright reddish brown, while rump, wings, and tail are cinnamon-rufous; underparts are dusky brown with bold, black-edged, whitish streaks.
• Song of the nominate subspecies is a series of sharp, connected 'pi' notes that slightly rise and slow down, falling off sharply at the end.

Habitat

The nominate subspecies inhabits humid Atlantic Forest, especially montane evergreen and low elevation rainforest, in eastern and southeastern Brazil south of the Rio São Francisco. Subspecies L. s. wagleri occurs in drier landscapes such as semi-deciduous woodlands, caatinga, and gallery forest in northeastern Brazil north of the Rio São Francisco. Both subspecies occupy forest edges and interiors, ranging from sea level to 2,000 m.

Diet

Diet consists primarily of arthropods, though specific details are not fully known. It forages singly, occasionally in pairs, and frequently joins mixed-species feeding flocks. It hitches up trunks and along slim branches, usually from the mid-level to the canopy.

Did you know?

Although nesting details are sparse, the species has been observed using cavities in buildings, in addition to natural cavities, for breeding.