<trp-post-container data-trp-post-id='359684'>Narrow-billed Woodcreeper

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En bref

  • Scientific Name: Lepidocolaptes angustirostris
  • Spanish Name: Trepador piquifino
  • Family: Furnariidae
  • Known Nicknames: Narrow-billed Woodcreeper, Lesser Woodcreeper
  • Average Length: 18–22 cm / 7–9 in
  • Average Weight: 23–35 g / 0.8–1.2 oz
  • Wingspan: 28–32 cm / 11–13 in
  • Key Feature: Slender, decurved bill with a pale base
  • Régime alimentaire principal : Insectivore
  • Range: South-central South America (Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay)
  • Habitat: Dry to semi-humid woodlands, savannas, gallery forests, and cerrado
  • Structure sociale : Solitaires ou en couples
  • Nesting/Breeding: Tree cavities or abandoned woodpecker holes
  • Statut de conservation : Préoccupation mineure (LC)
  • Évolution démographique : Stable

The Narrow-billed Woodcreeper (*Lepidocolaptes angustirostris*) is a master of arboreal camouflage, blending seamlessly into the dry forests and savannas of central South America. True to its name, this medium-sized bird possesses a remarkably slender, slightly decurved bill—a specialized tool for probing into bark crevices and bromeliad clusters to extract insects and spiders. Its plumage is a subtle tapestry of brown and buff, with fine streaking on the head and breast that breaks up its outline against tree trunks, while a pale supercilium and throat add a touch of definition. A unique and engaging feature is its habit of hitching upward in a spiraling motion around branches, using its stiff, pointed tail feathers as a prop, often joining mixed-species flocks. Despite its cryptic appearance, its presence is frequently announced by a loud, descending trill that echoes through the canopy, making it a vocal and charismatic denizen of its woodland home.

Faits amusants

Despite its name, the Narrow-billed Woodcreeper rarely pecks at wood like a true woodpecker; instead, it uses its slender, downward-curved bill to expertly pry bark scales and moss away from tree trunks, often hanging upside-down like a nuthatch to extract hidden insects. It exhibits a peculiar "ant-following" behavior, shadowing army ant swarms not to eat the ants but to snatch the spiders and cockroaches fleeing the chaos, sometimes even perching on the ants’ own raiding columns. One of its most quirky traits is a habit of bobbing its head rhythmically while climbing, a motion that looks almost mechanical, as if it’s winding itself up to move.

Habitats et répartition

The Narrow-billed Woodcreeper inhabits a variety of open to semi-open wooded environments, including dry forests, savannas with scattered trees (such as the Cerrado and Caatinga), gallery forests, and forest edges. It is also found in secondary growth, plantations, and urban parks, typically avoiding dense, humid rainforest interiors. Its geographical range extends across central and eastern South America, from eastern Bolivia, Paraguay, and northern Argentina northward through much of Brazil, with scattered populations reaching into Suriname and French Guiana.

Comportements & Reproduction

The Narrow-billed Woodcreeper is generally solitary or found in pairs, especially during the breeding season. It does not form large social flocks, though it may loosely associate with mixed-species foraging groups. Mating is monogamous for a given season, with pairs defending a small territory. Courtship involves vocal duets and chasing displays through the canopy. A unique reproductive strategy is its nesting habit: instead of excavating its own cavity, it appropriates abandoned woodpecker holes or natural tree hollows, often lining them with bark chips. The female typically lays two to three white eggs, and both parents share incubation and feeding duties, with the male frequently bringing food to the incubating female. There is no evidence of cooperative breeding or brood parasitism in this species.

Alimentation

The Narrow-billed Woodcreeper is an insectivorous bird that forages primarily by probing its slender, slightly decurved bill into bark crevices, moss, and epiphytic debris on tree trunks and branches, extracting a diet composed almost entirely of arthropods. Its menu includes a wide variety of beetles, ants, spiders, caterpillars, and other small invertebrates, and it often follows army ant swarms to capture insects fleeing the raid, a behavior known as kleptoparasitism. Interestingly, unlike many woodcreepers that rely heavily on bark-dwelling prey, this species frequently captures exposed prey from leaf surfaces and even occasionally consumes small fruits or seeds, making its feeding strategy more versatile and less specialized than that of its close relatives.

Couleurs

The Narrow-billed Woodcreeper is predominantly brown with a rufous rump, wings, and tail, while its underparts are paler with bold, dark streaking on the breast and throat. Its head features a distinct pale supercilium and a thin, decurved bill. This cryptic coloration blends seamlessly with tree bark, providing effective camouflage against predators.

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