Bird Guide

Elegant Woodcreeper vs Olive-backed Woodcreeper

Elegant Woodcreeper (Xiphorhynchus elegans)

Elegant Woodcreeper

Xiphorhynchus elegans

Small35 gForest

The elegant woodcreeper is a medium-sized member of its genus, with a longish, slim, nearly straight bill. The species is 18 to 22.5 cm (7.1 to 8.9 in) long; males weigh 31 to 38 g (1.1 to 1.3 oz) and females 29 to 35 g (1.0 to 1.2 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies X. e. elegans have a blackish brown face with bold buff streaks, whitish lores, and a pale supercilium. Their crown and nape are dark olive-brown with small buff spots with blackish edges that are streakier on the nape. Voice: The elegant woodcreeper sings mostly at dawn and dusk. One song is "a descending series of c. 30 ringing whistles that begins softly and slows at end, 'whit, whit, wit, wit, wit...wit, wit, wee, wee, wee, wit, wit, wit, wit, wew'." Another is ""tchip-tchip-tchip-tchip-thcup-tchup, tucweu, tchweu.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Elegant Woodcreeper
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Call, calls · Pastaza: Kapawi area, left bank Río Pastaza, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: David F. Belmonte · CC BY 4.0
Olive-backed Woodcreeper (Xiphorhynchus triangularis)

Olive-backed Woodcreeper

Xiphorhynchus triangularis

Small46 gForest

The olive-backed woodcreeper is 19.5 to 25 cm (7.7 to 9.8 in) long, males weigh 40 to 52 g (1.4 to 1.8 oz) and females 32 to 48 g (1.1 to 1.7 oz). It is a medium-sized member of genus Xiphorhynchus, with a slightly decurved bill. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies X. t. triangularis have a finely streaked face with a buffy supercilium and eyering. Their crown and nape are blackish brown with pale buff elongated spots. Their back, wing coverts, and rump are bright olive to brownish olive. Their upper back has scattered buff streaks. Voice: The olive-backed woodcreeper appears to be less vocal than many others of its genus. Its song is "a series of hard notes that accelerates then slows, 'we we we-we-we-we-we-WE-WE-We-we-wa' ". It also has a fainter song, "a weak and somewhat nasal series that accelerates into a slow trill, 'quee, quee QUEE-que-que'e'e'e'e'.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Olive-backed Woodcreeper
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Call · Napo: km 11.6 Narupa-Loreto road, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: (c) Christoph Moning, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Christoph Moning · cc-by

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Elegant Woodcreeper and Olive-backed Woodcreeper.