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STREAK-HEADED WOODCREEPER  Lepidocolaptes souleyetii 19–20.5cm.

Medium-size, slender-billed woodcreeper of forest edge, woodland, semi-open

areas with hedgerows and taller trees, plantations. Mainly at mid–upper levels

on trunks and branches; often fairly quick and active, much more so than

Ivory-billed Woodcreeper. Note fine, mostly pale bill, streaked crown. Cf.

Ivory-billed and Southern Spot-crowned Woodcreepers (limited elevational

overlap with latter). SOUNDS: Song a descending, rapid rolled trill or rattle,

suggesting Grayish Woodcreeper but lower, less liquid, slower-paced, 1.5–

2 secs. Call a short trilled eeihrrr or chirrr, with similar quality. STATUS: Fairly

common to common on both slopes to 1000m; in smaller numbers locally to 1600m. (Mexico to nw.

S America.)

*SOUTHERN SPOT-CROWNED WOODCREEPER  Lepidocolaptes [affinis]

neglectus 20.5–21.5cm. Medium-size, slender-billed woodcreeper of humid

highland forest, adjacent clearings with taller trees. Mainly at mid–upper levels

on mossy trunks and branches; joins mixed flocks. No similar species in most

of range: note spotted crown, slender pale bill, mostly plain back, bold pale

streaking on underparts, cf. larger Southern Spotted Woodcreeper, lowland

Streak-headed Woodcreeper. SOUNDS: Overslurred, slightly squeaky skwieh, at

times in short series, such as skwieh kwieh kwieh. Song an overall descending,

slightly squeaky, chippering rattle, 2–3 secs, often introduced with a single call.

STATUS: Fairly common to uncommon, mainly above 1000m in Northern Mts., above 1200m in Central

and Talamanca Mts., very rarely down to 500m on Caribbean slope. (Costa Rica to w. Panama.)

BROWN-BILLED

SCYTHEBILL  Campylorhamphus

pusillus

22–24cm.

Medium-size woodcreeper with strongly arched bill, found in humid forest,

especially mossy foothill forest. Mainly at mid–upper levels on trunks and

branches, probing in crevices, palm fronds, bromeliads. Joins mixed flock but

can be wary and difficult to see well. Distinctive, with long, sickle-shaped bill

(which is pinkish, not brown), distinct pale streaking and spotting on head.

SOUNDS: Song a varied, overall rather stuttering and descending series of short

melancholy whistles, often alternated with bursts of chippering, such as ti-ti

ti-ti-ti-chwee chwee chwee ti-ti-tchi-wheer t-t-chi-wheer, mainly 3–6 secs; at times

a simpler short series of plaintive slurred whistles, the 1st longer, tcheeeeuee tchwee twee twee twee, quality

recalling Southern Spotted Woodcreeper and at times ending with a short descending whinny.

STATUS: Uncommon to scarce on both slopes, mainly 300–1500m, and in s. Pacific lowlands. (Costa Rica

to nw. S America.)

BUFFY TUFTEDCHEEK  Pseudocolaptes lawrencii 19.5–21cm. Large, bulky,

distinctive ovenbird of humid highland forest and adjacent clearings with taller

trees, especially with mossy vine tangles, bromeliads. Mainly at mid–upper

levels, often feeding in bromeliads and moving with mixed flocks. Note

contrasting whitish throat and big buff cheek patches, bright rusty tail.

SOUNDS: Sharp, abrupt metallic tching! at times repeated steadily. Song a rippling

slow trill, faster and drier at first, then rising and slowing into bright squeaky

chips before fading away, 3–6 secs. STATUS: Uncommon, mainly 1600m to

timberline, rarely down to 1200m. (Costa Rica to w. Panama.)