Ocellated Woodcreeper Xiphorhynchus ocellatus Scientific name definitions

Taxonomic note: Lump. This account is a combination of multiple species accounts originally published in HBW Alive. That content has been combined and labeled here at the subspecies level. Moving forward we will create a more unified account for this parent taxon. Please consider contributing your expertise to update this account.

Genetically, this species is considered to be the sister species of the Chestnut-rumped Woodcreeper (Xiphorhynchus pardalotus), and their ranges are mutually exclusive. Whereas the Chestnut-rumped Woodcreeper occurs north of the Amazon and east of the Rio Negro, the Ocellated Woodcreeper occurs south and west of these biogeographical dividing lines. This mid-sized woodcreeper, whose plumage broadly recalls that of the Chestnut-rumped Woodcreeper and the Spix’s Woodcreeper (Xiphorhynchus spixii), is found in both terra firme and seasonally flooded forests, although it seems to be most dependent on the former habitat type. It is confined to Amazonia, and to elevations more or less below 500 m. The Ocellated Woodcreeper is mainly insectivorous and it occasionally follows army ant swarms, but its diet has not been subject to detailed study, and nothing has been published concerning the species’ breeding biology. Several subspecies are recognized across the species’ range, and one of these, Tschudi’s Woodcreeper (Xiphorhynchus chunchotambo) of the east Andean foothills, is now frequently afforded species rank.

Ocellated Woodcreeper (Tschudi's)

Ocellated Woodcreeper (Line-crowned)

20–23 cm; 35 g. Slim, medium-sized woodcreeper with relatively long, slim bill  sharp-tipped and nearly straight. Overall morphology extremely similar to that of the previously conspecific X. ocellatus, from which the present species differs mainly in voice and genetics (see Taxonomy, above). Very poorly known race lineatocapilla is very similar to nominate X. ocellatus, but bill markedly heavier, crown more blackish, back less rufescent; in comparison to race lineatocapilla and X. ocellatus, nominate race  have spots on breast  larger and with darker margins, upperparts warmer brown and more heavily streaked, with streaks sometimes expanding into drops distally, and shoulders more strongly and more deeply rufescent. Differs from X. chunchotambo primarily by underparts  having small spots restricted to upper breast instead of bold and extensive streaking throughout breast, crown finely streaked instead of boldly spotted, streaking on back indistinct or lacking, coloration more rufescent, and bill nearly straight. Sexes similar. Juvenile resembles adult, but underparts more heavily marked, and margins of spots poorly defined.

Ocellated Woodcreeper (Ocellated)

20–23 cm; 24–42 g. Slim, medium-sized woodcreeper with relatively long, slim bill sharp-tipped and nearly straight. Nominate race has crown and nape dark brown, crown with fine buff streaks, these becoming sparse on nape, with at most a few fine streaks on upper back; back reddish-brown to olive-brown and essentially unmarked; rump and wings cinnamon-rufous, tail similar but darker; throat deep buff, feathers edged darker (especially on lower throat); underparts olive-brown, becoming more rufescent on undertail-coverts, upper breast with large, teardrop-shaped spots of buff only weakly bordered darker, these fading into a few weak streaks on lower breast, with belly largely unmarked; iris dark brown; bill blackish, lower mandible pale grey; legs and feet grey. Easily confused, with most important characters being relatively small size, dark bill, virtually unmarked back (having at most a few narrow shaft streaks), rich buffy throat usually with scaly pattern, and finely spotted rather than streaked underparts. Differs from X. chunchotambo primarily by underparts having small spots restricted to upper breast instead of bold and extensive streaking throughout breast, crown finely streaked instead of boldly spotted, streaking on back indistinct or lacking, coloration more rufescent, and bill nearly straight. Sexes similar. Juvenile resembles adult, but underparts more heavily marked, and margins of spots poorly defined. Race <em>perplexus</em> has rump, wings and tail darker rufous than nominate, front edge of wings browner, breast darker with spots more conspicuously margined dusky.

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Ocellated Woodcreeper (Tschudi's)

Ocellated Woodcreeper (Line-crowned)

Ocellated Woodcreeper (Ocellated)

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Ocellated Woodcreeper (Tschudi's)

Ocellated Woodcreeper (Line-crowned)

Chiefly the understorey and midstorey of evergreen forest. At most sites occurs in tall terra firme forest, but at some mostly near rivers or swamps (várzea at some sites) or in forests associated with sandy soils. Frequents primarily interior of mature forest, less often in disturbed forest, second growth (including younger growth), and forest edge. Patchy distribution possibly related to habitat preferences that are poorly known, and perhaps geographically variable. Chiefly Amazonian lowlands, mostly below 500 m and only below 200 m in Venezuela.

Ocellated Woodcreeper (Ocellated)

Chiefly evergreen forest. At most sites occurs in tall terra firme forest, but at some mostly near rivers or swamps (várzea at some sites) or in forests associated with sandy soils. Frequents primarily interior of mature forest, less often in disturbed forest, second growth (including younger growth), and forest edge. Patchy distribution possibly related to habitat preferences that are poorly known, and perhaps geographically variable. Chiefly Amazonian lowlands, mostly below 500 m.

Ocellated Woodcreeper (Tschudi's)

Ocellated Woodcreeper (Line-crowned)

Ocellated Woodcreeper (Ocellated)

Ocellated Woodcreeper (Tschudi's)

Ocellated Woodcreeper (Line-crowned)

Very few data, but no known differences in diet or foraging ecology from X. ocellatus.

Ocellated Woodcreeper (Ocellated)

Presumably insectivorous, but diet not described in detail. Single individuals or pairs regularly associate with mixed-species flocks of forest understorey; also frequently encountered away from flocks, and occasionally in association with swarms of army ants (principally Eciton burchelli). Forages while hitching up trunks and branches, primarily in lower and middle levels of forest; appears to obtain prey largely by gleaning from surface of trunks or limbs, or by peering and probing into bark crevices, epiphytes or clusters of leaves. Over ants, forages in understorey within 8 m of ground while quietly hitching up slim trunks 3–25 cm in diameter; attempts at prey capture involved sallies to both the ground and a vine, and gleaning from both a trunk and a nearby leaf. Foraging behaviour typical of others in genus, though possibly more sluggish than X. pardalotus, X. spixii and X. elegans. Rather aggressive at army-ant swarms; seen to supplant Dendrocincla merula, but supplanted by White-breasted Antbird (Rhegmatorhina hoffmannsi).

Ocellated Woodcreeper (Tschudi's)

Ocellated Woodcreeper (Line-crowned)

Song, usually given only intermittently (often only few songs in a bout), primarily at dawn and dusk (less frequently in day), poorly known and geographically variable: in S Colombia a rapid trill that descends slightly, then ascends for most of duration, and accelerates at end; also whinnying trill with emphatic final squeak, “t’r’r’r’r’r’a’a’a’a’eik”; in NE Peru, a quiet, accelerating series of rapid whistled notes that ends in a stutter, e.g. “hee-ee-ee-i’i’i’i’i’i’ chee’ee’ee tree’ee’ee tree’ee’ee”. Most common call a clear, descending, whistled “teeew” or “heew”.

Ocellated Woodcreeper (Ocellated)

Song, usually given only intermittently (often only few songs in a bout), primarily at dawn and dusk (less frequently in day), poorly known and geographically variable: in S Amazonia E of R Madeira a rapid trill that descends slightly before rising at end, “re-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-eet”, much like shortened version of X. obsoletus song. Commonest call a loud, sputtering series of 4–5 notes, “trí-p, pi, pit, pit”.

Ocellated Woodcreeper (Tschudi's)

Ocellated Woodcreeper (Line-crowned)

Ocellated Woodcreeper (Ocellated)

Ocellated Woodcreeper (Tschudi's)

Ocellated Woodcreeper (Line-crowned)

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Status poorly known; appears to be fairly common to common, but inconspicuous and local, throughout most of range. Believed to be highly sensitive to loss and fragmentation of forest. Encounter and capture rates significantly lower in young second growth than in mature forest at Amazonian sites in Colombia. Known from just four localities in Venezuela (race lineatocapilla).

Ocellated Woodcreeper (Ocellated)

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Status not well known; appears to be fairly common to common, but inconspicuous and local, throughout most of range. Believed to be highly sensitive to loss and fragmentation of forest. Encounter and capture rates significantly lower in young second growth than in mature forest at site in Brazil; this Brazilian study, however, documented comparable encounter rates in primary and selectively logged forest.