Bird Guide

Elegant Woodcreeper vs Striped 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
Striped Woodcreeper (Xiphorhynchus obsoletus)

Striped Woodcreeper

Xiphorhynchus obsoletus

Small33 gForest

The striped woodcreeper is medium-sized, with a slim, slightly decurved bill of moderate length. The species is 18 to 20.5 cm (7.1 to 8.1 in) long. Males weigh 27 to 37 g (0.95 to 1.3 oz) and females 24 to 36 g (0.85 to 1.3 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies X. o. obsoletus have a face with thin creamy buff and dark brown streaks that become bold scaling on the sides of the neck. They have a faint pale supercilium or none at all. Their crown and nape are blackish to dark olive-brown with pale spots that have dusky edges. Voice: The striped woodcreeper sings mostly at dawn and dusk, and also intermittently during the day. Its song is "a trill...20–35 sharp notes, first stuttering, then speeding up slightly, rises conspicuously at end, 'che-e-e-e-e-e-ee-ie-ie-iek!'." Its calls include "sip", "ti-dik", and a "dry twittering 'tit-it-it' or 'si-si-sip' ".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Striped Woodcreeper
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Song · Orellana: Laguna Añangu ('Napo Wildlife Center'), s-bank Río Napo, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Tristan Jobin · CC BY 4.0

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