Bird Guide

Buff-breasted Earthcreeper vs Point-tailed Palmcreeper

Buff-breasted Earthcreeper (Upucerthia validirostris)

Buff-breasted Earthcreeper

Upucerthia validirostris

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The buff-breasted earthcreeper is 17 to 21 cm (6.7 to 8.3 in) long and weighs 30 to 45 g (1.1 to 1.6 oz). It is a medium-sized earthcreeper with a long and strongly decurved bill. The sexes' plumages are alike. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a pale buffish white supercilium. Their crown, nape, back, rump, and uppertail coverts are dull brownish gray. Their tail is dark brown with increasing amounts of rufous from the central to the outer feathers. Their wings are mostly the same brownish gray as the back but with much rufous at the base of the primaries. Voice: The buff-breasted earthcreeper is not highly vocal. The nominate subspecies' song is "a long dry trill of c. 10 or more 'tyik' notes" and its call "a low 'chwit' ". The song of the other two subspecies is "a rich irregular trill 'drrrrrr…' lasting one to > 10 seconds, rising and then falling in pitch, accelerating and then decelerating". Their call is "a metallic 'click' or 'tyi-ík' ".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Buff-breasted Earthcreeper
Recorded by Belén y Diego · Uncertain · Valle Colorado, Valle Grande, Jujuy, Argentina · CC0
Photo: Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom · CC BY 2.0
Point-tailed Palmcreeper (Berlepschia rikeri)

Point-tailed Palmcreeper

Berlepschia rikeri

Small37 gForest

Ridway says of the point-tailed palmcreeper, "This handsome species, of very striking appearance, is entirely different in coloration from any Dendrocolaptine bird with which I am acquainted". The point-tailed palmcreeper is 18 to 22 cm (7.1 to 8.7 in) long and weighs 32 to 37 g (1.1 to 1.3 oz). The sexes are alike. Adults have a face with thin black and white streaks. Its crown and upper back are also streaked black and white; the streaks become "teardrops" on the back. Its lower back, rump, and uppertail coverts are bright chestnut. Voice: The point-tailed palmcreepers song is "a loud series of 20–30 staccato, strident notes, on same pitch or ascending slightly and then descending at end". It has been put into words as "ka-koo, didididididididididi", "dedede-kee!-kee!-kee!-kee!-kee!-kee!-kee!-kee!", and "weet-weet-witwitwit---".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Salomão Janderson Ferreira Bispo · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Buff-breasted Earthcreeper and Point-tailed Palmcreeper.