The largest of the woodcreepers of the Chaco woodland of the Iberá: 26 to 30 cm. The plumage is brown with the neck, breast and belly densely streaked white. The back has white spots on the wings. The bill is very long (4 to 5 cm) and strongly curved downward. The tail is reddish-brown and stiff. It is the largest woodcreeper of the Argentine Chaco and one of the most distinctive for the combination of streaked plumage and a sickle-shaped bill.
Behaviour
Solitary. Unlike the other woodcreepers it comes down to the ground a lot, where it walks among the grasses and digs through loose soil in search of spiders, centipedes, scorpions and larvae; it also climbs the trunks and thick branches of the Chaco woodland. Its curved bill lets it extract larvae from curved galleries in the wood and bark of the thorny Chaco trees. The song is powerful, a series of descending notes that carries far.
How and when to see it
Year-round in mature Chaco woodland. Portal San Nicolás and Mburucuyá are the best sites. Its size makes it relatively easy to see as it climbs the large trunks.
Where to see it in the Iberá
The gateways of the Great Iberá Park where scimitar-billed woodcreeper has confirmed presence:
Tours to see it
Verified providers operating at the gateways where scimitar-billed woodcreeper lives. You contact them directly on WhatsApp from the app.
- Esteros Ñe’é
Experiencias con relato local y mirada cultural sobre los esteros.★ 5.0 - Gaucho Argentino
Travesías a caballo por una red de refugios en el Iberá. Cabalgatas de varios días con…★ 5.0 - Irupé Excursiones
Senderismo guiado. Visita guiada a museos, lugares históricos, capillas y senderos del…★ 5.0 - Salvaje Iberá
Senderismo, cicloturismo, safari fotográfico, avistaje de fauna, paseos largos en el día…★ 5.0
Species profile
- Common nameScimitar-billed Woodcreeper
- Scientific nameDrymornis bridgesii
- GroupBird
- StatusNative
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