The long-tailed woodcreeper (Deconychura longicauda) is a species of bird in subfamily Dendrocolaptinae of the ovenbird family Furnariidae.[2] It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.[3][4][5]
The taxonomy of the long-tailed woodcreeper is unsettled. The International Ornithological Committee and the Clements taxonomy assign it these seven subspecies; Clements distributes them among three groups:[2][5]
"Little" group
"Northern"
"Southern" group
BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW) treats each of these groups as separate species, the "little long-tailed woodcreeper" (D. typica), "northern long-tailed woodcreeper" (D. longicauda), and "southern long-tailed woodcreeper" (D. pallida).[6] The North American and South American Classification Committees of the American Ornithological Society treat the long-tailed woodcreeper as one species but note that it probably consists of at least two and possibly three species.[3][7]
The long-tailed woodcreeper sensu lato is the only member of genus Deconychura, but formerly this genus also included the spot-throated woodcreeper (Certhiasomus stictolaemus).[2][8] It is genetically most closely related to the olivaceous woodcreeper (Sittasomus griseicapillus).[9]
This article follows the seven-subspecies model.
The long-tailed woodcreeper is a medium-sized member of its subfamily, with a slim body, long wings and tail, and a slim medium-length straight bill. It is 16 to 21 cm (6.3 to 8.3 in) long and weighs 21 to 36 g (0.74 to 1.3 oz). Males are longer and heavier than females, and both length and weight vary among the subspecies. The species' plumage varies only slightly among the subspecies and males and females are alike. Adults are mostly olive-brown with a darker crown and nape that have fine buff streaks. Their lores and supercilium are whitish to rich buffy. Their wings, uppertail coverts, and tail are rufous-chestnut; their primaries have dusky tips. Their throat varies from whitish buff to ochraceous, their breast is olive-brown with buff streaks, their belly and flanks are plain olive-brown, and their undertail coverts are rufous. Their underwing coverts and the underside of the flight feathers are cinnamon rufous. Juveniles are very similar to adults, with a slightly darker head and fewer pale streaks on the breast.[10][11]
The subspecies of the long-tailed woodcreeper are found thus:[10]
Subspecies D. l. minor intergrades with D. l. darienensis and there is some dispute as to the latter's validity.[10]
The long-tailed woodcreeper inhabits a variety of forested landscapes where it favors the interior of humid primary forest. It does occur at the forest edges and in mature secondary forest. In Central America it is mostly a bird of the lowlands and foothills, where it ranges in elevation to about 400 m (1,300 ft) in Honduras, 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in Nicaragua, 1,200 m (3,900 ft) in Costa Rica, and 1,400 m (4,600 ft) in Panama. In Amazonia it is mostly found in terra firme and várzea forest up to about 500 m (1,600 ft). In Colombia it reaches 1,500 m (4,900 ft), in Ecuador 1,700 m (5,600 ft), in Peru 1,500 m (4,900 ft), and in Bolivia 1,250 m (4,100 ft).[10][12][13][11][14][15]
The long-tailed woodcreeper is mostly a year-round resident throughout its range though some elevational movements are suspected in Costa Rica.[10]
The long-tailed woodcreeper mostly forages from the understory to the canopy, about 3 to 20 m (10 to 66 ft) above the ground. It forages singly, in pairs, and in mixed-species feeding flocks; the composition of the last varies. It hitches up trunks and vines, mostly picking or gleaning its prey but sometimes making short sallies to capture it in the air. Its diet is not known in detail but is mostly arthropods, and it seems to favor adults rather than including significant numbers of larvae.[10]
Almost nothing is known about the long-tailed woodcreeper's breeding biology. The scant evidence indicates that its breeding season varies geographically. One clutch contained two eggs.[10]
The song of the "little" group of the long-tailed woodcreeper is "a long and fast series of short piping notes that first speeds up, becomes louder and rises slightly in pitch, then slows again whilst also decreasing in amplitude and pitch."[10] It has been put into words as "weet!-weet!-WEEEET!-WEEEET!-WEEEET!-weet-weet-weet...".[12] The nominate longicauda's song is "a high, distinctly descending, clear, rather plaintive 'pee-pue-tue-tuh---' ".[11] The "southern" group's song is "a clearly descending series of typically 6–8 mainly flat-pitched whistles" with up to 12 notes.[10] The species can sing at any time of day, though it is most heard in early morning and late afternoon. It does not sing continously. Playback of the local song elicits a strong response, so the song "likely has a territorial function".[10]
The IUCN follows HBW taxonomy, and so has separately evaluated the "northern", "little" and "southern" long-tailed woodcreepers. The "northern" and "little" long-tailed woodcreepers are assessed as being of Least Concern. They have large ranges, but their population sizes are not known and are believed to be decreasing. Habitat modification and fragmentation for agriculture and ranching is cited as a threat to the "northern" long-billed woodcreeper. No immediate threats to the "little" long-billed woodcreeper have been identified. However, the "southern" long-billed woodcreeper is assessed as Near Threatened. Continuing deforestation in the Amazon Basin, especially for cattle ranching and soy farming, is the principal threat. "It is particularly susceptible to habitat modification and fragmentation, and is naturally rare in spite of its extensive distribution."[1][16][17]
The long-tailed woodcreeper (Deconychura longicauda) is a species of bird in subfamily Dendrocolaptinae of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.