The spot-throated woodcreeper is a species of bird in subfamily Dendrocolaptinae of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela, and possibly Suriname.
Region
Amazon Basin and the Guianas, northern South America
Typical Environment
Occurs widely in lowland evergreen rainforest, favoring mature terra firme forest and adjacent edges, and locally in seasonally flooded (várzea) forest. It keeps to the forest interior where it climbs trunks and large lianas from the understory to midstory. The species is uncommon to fairly common but easily overlooked due to its quiet behavior and cryptic plumage. It avoids heavily degraded habitats and extensive clearings.
Altitude Range
0–1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A small, slim woodcreeper of the Amazon, it forages by hitching up trunks and large vines, probing bark and crevices for hidden prey. It often joins mixed-species flocks in the forest interior and may occasionally attend army-ant swarms. Its finely spotted throat is subtle but diagnostic at close range. Taxonomically, it is placed in the subfamily Dendrocolaptinae within the ovenbird family (Furnariidae).
Temperament
secretive and methodical
Flight Pattern
short, direct flights with rapid wingbeats between trunks
Social Behavior
Forages singly or in pairs and commonly joins mixed-species flocks moving through the forest interior. Pairs are presumed monogamous and maintain small territories. Nests are placed in natural cavities such as tree holes or stumps, where both adults attend the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a soft series of thin, slightly rising whistles, sometimes ending with a faint trill. Calls are high, sibilant notes given intermittently while foraging. Vocalizations carry poorly and can be easily missed in dense forest.
Plumage
Warm brown upperparts with a rufescent tail; throat and upper breast finely spotted or spangled buff to whitish, fading to plainer brown underparts. Back and wings are mostly plain, with slight rufous tones in the wings and tail. Feathers are sleek and closely set, giving a smooth, streamlined look on the body.
Diet
Primarily takes arthropods such as beetles, ants, termites, spiders, and roaches, gleaned from bark and crevices. It probes into epiphytes and vine tangles and occasionally snaps small prey flushed by movement. It may attend army-ant swarms to capture fleeing insects but does so irregularly. Very rarely, it may seize small soft-bodied prey larger than typical insects.
Preferred Environment
Feeds on tree trunks, branches, and large lianas from near the ground to the midstory, especially in mature terra firme forest. Often follows mixed-species flocks that stir prey into motion. Avoids open areas and typically remains inside shaded forest.
