SCIMITAR-BILLED WOODCREEPER Drymornis bridgesii CHACO
Unique is the only word, for this weird-looking woodcreeper. In fact woodcreeper is a bit of a misnomer. Though he does occasionally creep, you are far more likely to see him hopping around on the ground, using his long bill to select the tastiest morsels from amongst the vegetation.
Click on the images to enlarge them.
FIGURE 1 - (FPAVE2664PH) Adult, Fortín Toledo, Departamento Presidente Hayes (Matt Denton October 2010).
FIGURE 2 - (FPAVE2665PH) Adult ventral, Laguna Capitán, Cuenca Upper Yacaré Sur (Paul Smith September 2006).
FIGURE 3 - (FPAVE2666PH) Adult lateral, Fortín Toledo, Departamento Presidente Hayes (Marcelo Bombaci October 2007).
FIGURE 4 - (FPAVE2667PH) Adult in flight, Fortín Toledo, Departamento Presidente Hayes (Marcelo Bombaci October 2007).
FIGURE 5 - (FPAVE2668PH) Adult at nest, Fortín Boquerón, Departamento Presidente Hayes (Paul Smith October 2008).
VIDEO - (FPAVE2669VI) Same individual as (FPAVE2666PH)  (Paul Smith September 2006).
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Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law.
Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Material on this page was provided by Paul Smith, Matt Denton, Myriam Velázquez and Marcelo Bombaci and is used with permission.
Drymornis bridgesii
1 (FPAVE2670RE) song recorded Laguna Bombacha, Departamento Presidente Hayes (Paul Smith October 2008).
2 (FPAVE2671RE) call recorded Campo Maria Private Reserve, Departamento Presidente Hayes (Paul Smith November 2000).
3 (FPAVE2672RE) twitters recorded Campo Maria Private Reserve, Departamento Presidente Hayes (Paul Smith November 2000).
Click the link to hear the call. Longer versions of this call can be downloaded from the Paraguay page of our partner website Xeno-Canto - the largest collection of freely downloadable Neotropical bird calls available online.
Gallery 2 - Drymornis bridgesii nest
This nest was found on 23 September 2014 at Laguna Capitán, Departamento Presidente Hayes in a dead isolated tree on a salt flat close to a saline lagoon and dry chaco scrub. Three chicks with eyes recently opened were present in the nest and both adults were seen to bring food (green caterpillar, pupae etc). They gave a rough rasping noise as a begging call. The entrance hole dimensions were 66x78mm and the lower edge of the entrance hole was 930mm from the ground. The chamber was approximately 340mm deep. When approached on the nest an adult sat tight and did not emerge from the nest for several minutes after the observer had withdrawn even though playback of adult recordings were played. On departure the adult flew directly out of the nest. All photos and text by Paul Smith.

FIGURE 2a - (FPAVE4098PH) Nest tree.
FIGURE 2b - (FPAVE4099PH) Nest hole.
FIGURE 2c - (FPAVE4100PH) Chicks in nest chamber.
FIGURE 2d - (FPAVE4101PH) Adult in nest chamber.
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