<trp-post-container data-trp-post-id='360482'>Plain-winged Woodcreeper
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En bref
- Scientific Name: Dendrocincla turdina
- Spanish Name: Trepatroncos alillano
- Family: Furnariidae
- Known Nicknames: Plain-winged Woodcreeper, Thrush-like Woodcreeper
- Average Length: 19–21 cm / 7.5–8.3 in
- Average Weight: 32–42 g / 1.1–1.5 oz
- Wingspan: 28–32 cm / 11–13 in
- Key Feature: Plain brown plumage with a pale throat and a long, slightly decurved bill
- Primary Diet: Primarily Insectivore (ants, beetles, spiders, other arthropods)
- Range: Eastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, and northeastern Argentina
- Habitat: Lowland and montane humid forests, forest edges, and secondary growth
- Social Structure: Solitary or in pairs; occasionally follows army ant swarms
- Nesting/Breeding: Tree cavities or old woodpecker holes
- Statut de conservation : Préoccupation mineure (LC)
- Évolution démographique : Stable
The Plain-winged Woodcreeper (*Dendrocincla turdina*) is a master of subtle camouflage, a medium-sized, olive-brown bird that seamlessly blends into the shadowy trunks of South American lowland forests. Its most distinctive feature is the lack of bold streaking or patterning on its wings—a plain, uniform appearance that sets it apart from many of its more flamboyantly marked relatives. With a slender, slightly decurved bill perfectly adapted for probing bark crevices, it hitches up tree trunks in a classic woodcreeper fashion, often joining mixed-species flocks to snatch insects flushed by other birds. A special behavioral trait is its fondness for army ant swarms, where it perches low and darts out to capture fleeing prey, displaying a surprising boldness for such an inconspicuous creature.
Faits amusants
Despite its name, the Plain-winged Woodcreeper is a master of deception, often joining mixed-species foraging flocks and mimicking the alarm calls of other birds to scare them away from food sources. It has a unique “reverse hitch” climbing style, bracing its stiff tail feathers against tree bark like a woodpecker but moving headfirst down trunks to spot insects hidden in crevices. Its tongue is coated in sticky saliva and tipped with backward-facing barbs, allowing it to extract ants and termites from deep tunnels with surgical precision.
Habitats et répartition
This species is primarily associated with humid lowland and montane forests, including both terra firme and várzea, as well as secondary growth and forest edges. It shows a preference for dense understory vegetation, often near streams or in areas with abundant moss and epiphytes. Its geographical range extends through the Atlantic Forest biome of eastern South America, from northeastern Brazil (south of the Amazon River) south through the coastal states to eastern Paraguay and northeastern Argentina, with isolated populations also recorded in the interior of Minas Gerais and Goiás.
Comportements & Reproduction
The Plain-winged Woodcreeper is generally solitary or found in pairs, often joining mixed-species foraging flocks but maintaining loose social bonds outside of breeding. Mating appears to be monogamous, with pairs defending a small territory around a nesting cavity, typically a natural hole in a dead tree or an abandoned woodpecker excavation. A unique reproductive strategy involves the male and female cooperating to line the nest with soft bark strips and leaves, but both sexes also engage in a behavior called "cavity preparation," where they repeatedly enter and exit the potential nest site over several days, possibly to assess suitability or deter competitors. Clutch size is usually two white eggs, and both parents share incubation duties for about 17–18 days, with the young fledging after roughly three weeks. No cooperative breeding or helpers have been documented for this species.
Alimentation
The Plain-winged Woodcreeper is primarily an insectivore, feeding almost exclusively on a wide variety of arthropods. Its diet consists mainly of ants, beetles, spiders, caterpillars, and other small invertebrates, which it captures using a specialized foraging technique known as "gleaning" and "sallying." Unlike many other woodcreepers, this species rarely climbs vertically up tree trunks to probe bark for prey; instead, it is an expert at following army ant swarms, where it perches on low branches or saplings and darts down to snatch insects fleeing the advancing ant columns. This behavior makes it a classic example of an "obligate ant-follower," obtaining up to 90% of its food from these swarm raids. Interestingly, it often competes directly with other ant-following birds like antbirds and tanagers, but its long, slightly decurved bill allows it to extract prey from crevices that other species cannot reach.
Couleurs
The Plain-winged Woodcreeper is predominantly a uniform, warm brown above and paler brown below, with a faint, buffy streaking on the throat and breast. Its most notable feature is the absence of bold wing markings or a strong facial pattern, giving it a plain, unstreaked appearance that provides excellent camouflage against tree bark. It has a pale supercilium and a dark eyestripe, but these are subtle, and its overall cryptic coloration helps it blend seamlessly into its forest environment.
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