White-striped woodcreeper facts for kids
Quick facts for kids White-striped woodcreeper |
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Lepidocolaptes
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| Species: |
leucogaster
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The white-striped woodcreeper (Lepidocolaptes leucogaster) is a type of bird. It belongs to the ovenbird family called Furnariidae. This bird is special because it is endemic to Mexico. This means it lives naturally only in Mexico and nowhere else in the world!
Contents
About the White-striped Woodcreeper
How Scientists Group This Bird
Scientists use a system called taxonomy to group living things. The white-striped woodcreeper has two main types, called subspecies. These are L. l. leucogaster and L. l. umbrosus. They are very similar but have small differences.
What Does the White-striped Woodcreeper Look Like?
This bird is a medium-sized woodcreeper. It is about 21.5 to 23.5 cm (8.5 to 9.3 in) long. It weighs around 30 to 40 g (1.1 to 1.4 oz), which is about the same as a few pieces of candy.
It has a long, thin bill that curves downwards. Both male and female birds look alike. Their faces are usually pale with some darker streaks. They have white or creamy white feathers around their ears and eyes. A dark stripe runs behind their eyes.
The top of their head and neck are dark brown or blackish. They have light spots and streaks on their forehead and back. Their back and wing feathers are olive-brown. The feathers on their wings and tail are a reddish-brown color.
Their throat and chest are white or creamy white. The throat is plain, but the chest has a scaly look from blackish markings. The rest of their belly is grayish with white streaks. Their eyes are brown, and their bill is dark brown or black. Their legs and feet are gray or black. Young birds look similar but have more olive-brown on their upper parts.
Where Does This Bird Live?
The white-striped woodcreeper lives only in Mexico. One type, L. l. umbrosus, is found in northwestern Mexico. This includes states like Sonora and Chihuahua. The other type, L. l. leucogaster, lives in western and southern Mexico. You can find it in states such as Jalisco and Oaxaca.
These birds mostly live in humid mountain forests. They also like drier forests with oak, pine, or fir trees. Sometimes, they are found in tropical forests at lower elevations. They prefer older, mature forests but can sometimes be seen in younger forests. They usually live at heights from 900 to 3,500 m (3,000 to 11,500 ft) above sea level.
White-striped Woodcreeper Behavior
How This Bird Moves Around
The white-striped woodcreeper usually stays in the same area all year. They are not known to travel far. However, some might move to lower areas during the winter months.
What Does It Eat?
This bird mainly eats arthropods. Arthropods are creatures like insects and spiders. It usually hunts alone or in pairs. Sometimes, it joins groups of different bird species that are all looking for food together.
It searches for food at all levels of the forest. It climbs up tree trunks and branches in a spiral pattern. It finds its food by peeling off bark and poking its bill into cracks in the wood.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
We don't know everything about when the white-striped woodcreeper breeds. However, it seems to lay eggs between February and May. It probably builds its nest inside holes in trees. Beyond that, scientists are still learning about its breeding habits.
What Does It Sound Like?
The song of the white-striped woodcreeper is a "sputtering trill." It sounds like "zzzzzzzzztztztztztzttt-t-t-bt-bt-bt." Its call is a short, rough trill that sounds like "tsisirr."
Status of the White-striped Woodcreeper
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has looked at the white-striped woodcreeper. They have listed it as a species of "Least Concern." This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing.
The bird lives across a fairly large area. Scientists believe there are at least 50,000 adult birds. However, this number might be slowly going down. No major threats have been found for this bird right now. It is quite common in middle elevations but rarer in other places. It is thought to be okay with some human activity in its habitat.
