Woodcreepers - Grimpars

Woodcreepers are small to medium sized birds. They are typically brown, olive or rufous colored with white spots, streaks or bars.

Maintaining an upright vertical posture, they feed mainly on insects taken from tree trunks. Some woodcreepers often form part of the core group at the centre of flocks attending army ant swarms. Woodcreepers are arboreal cavity-nesting birds;  laying two or three white eggs.

These birds can be difficult to identify in that they tend to have similar brown upperparts, and the more distinctive underparts are hard to see on a bird pressed against a trunk in deep forest shade. The bill shape, extend/shape of spots/streaks, and call are useful aids to determining species.

Did you know ??   

• Woodcreepers’ tails are specialized to help them climb trees; the tail feathers have stiff, spiny shafts that are claw-like.