Bird Guide

Azara's Spinetail vs Wedge-billed Woodcreeper

Azara's Spinetail (Synallaxis azarae)

Azara's Spinetail

Synallaxis azarae

Small17 gForest

Azara's spinetail is 15 to 18 cm (5.9 to 7.1 in) long and weighs 12 to 18 g (0.42 to 0.63 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies S. a. azarae have a brownish gray face with a slightly paler supercilium. Their forehead and forecrown are dark grayish brown, their hindcrown and nape dark rufous, and their back, rump and uppertail coverts rich olive-brown. Their wings are mostly rufous-chestnut with dark brownish tips on their flight feathers. Their tail is dull chestnut-brown; the tail is graduated and the feathers have somewhat pointed tips. Voice: Azara's spinetail is quite vocal, repeating for minutes at a time a sharp "ket-kwééék", "pip-squeak", or "ka-kweeék". It also makes "scratchy, nasal 'prrt' notes", " 'kweek-kweek' notes", and a "low short 'chur' or 'trrt' ".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Azara's Spinetail
Recorded by JUAN ANTONIO ALONSO DE JUAN · Song · San Antonio del Tequendama, Cundinamarca, Colombia · CC BY 4.0
Photo: Fabrice Schmitt · CC BY 2.0
Wedge-billed Woodcreeper (Glyphorynchus spirurus)

Wedge-billed Woodcreeper

Glyphorynchus spirurus

Tiny15 gForest

The wedge-billed woodcreeper is the smallest woodcreeper, with a short, upturned, wedge-shaped bill resembling those of the three members of genus Xenops. It is 13 to 16 cm (5.1 to 6.3 in) long and weighs 10.5 to 21 g (0.37 to 0.74 oz). The sexes are alike. The nominate subspecies G. s. spirurus has a grayish forehead, a rich brown to russet-brown crown and nape, light buff lores, a thin buff to buff-white supercilium, a buff eyering, sooty-brown auriculars, and a brown malar stripe. Voice: The wedge-billed woodcreeper sings mostly at dusk and dawn, though occasionally during the day as well. The subspecies in the pectoralis group of Central America into Colombia sing "a rapidly ascending, accelerating and somewhat slurred series of c. 25 bubbly notes...'twee-lee-lee-le-le-ee-ee-eeeeeé' ". It is also described as "weet-weet-WEEET-WEEET-weet-peet-peeet't't't't't't'teu".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Wedge-billed Woodcreeper
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Song · El Oro: Reserva Buenaventura 9 km WNW Piñas, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Chrissy McClarren and Andy Reago · CC0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Azara's Spinetail and Wedge-billed Woodcreeper.