Lafresnaye's Woodcreeper

Lafresnaye's woodcreeper (''Xiphorhynchus guttatus guttatoides'') is a resident passerine bird found in tropical South America in the western and southern Amazon and adjacent sections of the Cerrado. It is often considered a subspecies of the buff-throated woodcreeper, but this combined "species" would be polyphyletic. It includes the dusky-billed woodcreeper (''Xiphorhynchus guttatoides eytoni''), which sometimes is considered a separate species (''see Taxonomy'').

Description

With a total length of 25–28 cm (10–11 in), this woodcreeper is, together with buff-throated woodcreeper, the largest member of the genus ''Xiphorhynchus''. The wings and tail are rufous. The head, mantle and underparts are olive-brown streaked buff (subspecies ''X. g. guttatoides'' and ''X. g. dorbignyanus'') or whitish (''X. g. eytoni'', ''X. g. gracilirostris'' and ''X. g. vicinalis''). The bill is long, slightly decurved, and hooked at the tip. The bill is mainly pale horn (''X. g. guttatoides'' and ''X. g. dorbignyanus'') or blackish (''X. g. eytoni'', ''X. g. gracilirostris'' and ''X. g. vicinalis'').

Ecology

Lafresnaye's woodcreeper is restricted to forest and woodland. In its range, it is generally the commonest large woodcreeper. It is an insectivores, which feeds on ants and other insects and spiders. It feeds low in trees, usually alone, but groups will follow columns of army ants. The species builds a bark-lined nest in a tree hole or hollow stump and lays two white eggs.

Taxonomy

The species's taxonomy is highly complex. It has often been considered a subspecies of the buff-throated woodcreeper, but molecular data indicates that this species is closer the cocoa woodcreeper than it is to Lafresnaye's woodcreeper.Aleixo, Alexandre (2002): Molecular systematics, phylogeography, and population genetics of ''Xiphorhynchus'' (Aves: Dendrocolaptidae) in the Amazon basin. Ph.D. dissertation, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
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Aleixo, Alexandre (2002b): Molecular Systematics and the Role of the "Várzea"-"Terra-Firme" Ecotone in the Diversification of ''Xiphorhynchus'' Woodcreepers (Aves: Dendrocolaptidae). ''Auk'' 119(3): 621-640. DOI: 10.1642/0004-8038(2002)119 621:MSATRO.0.CO;
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/ref> Alternatively, the ''eytoni'' group (incl. ''vicinalis'' and ''gracilirostris'') has been considered a separate species, the dusky-billed woodcreeper (''Xiphorhynchus (guttatoides) eytoni''), but, despite its different looks, it is better considered a subspecies of Lafresnaye's woodcreeper.

Biogeography and molecular data suggest that the relationship between these taxa and the buff-throated woodcreeper deserves further study. Remsen, J.V. Jr. (2003): 32. Buff-throated Woodcreeper. ''In:'' del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew & Sargatal, Jordi (editors): ''Handbook of Birds of the World, Volume 6: Broadbills to Tapaculos'': 429-430, plate 35. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

However, of the major taxonomic systems, only Birdlife International's ''Handbook of the Birds of the World'' (HBW) treats Lafresnaye's woodcreeper as a species.HBW and BirdLife International (2022) Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the birds of the world. Version 7. Available at: https://datazone.birdlife.org/userfiles/file/Species/Taxonomy/HBW-BirdLife_Checklist_v7_Dec22.zip retrieved December 13, 2022 The South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society, the International Ornithological Committee (IOC), and the Clements taxonomy include its five subspecies with three others in the buff-throated woodcreeper (''X guttatus'').Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, G. Del-Rio, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 31 May 2023. A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithological Society. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved May 31, 2023Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2022. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2022. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/ retrieved November 10, 2022 For full details of these eight subspecies see the buff-throated article.

References

*Hilty, Steven L. (2003): ''Birds of Venezuela''. Christopher Helm, London.

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Lafresnaye's woodcreeper
Birds of South America
Birds of Bolivia
Birds of Brazil
Birds of the Amazon rainforest
Birds of the Cerrado
Birds of the Pantanal
Lafresnaye's woodcreeper