FIGURE 1

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 2

FIGURE 2
FIGURE 3

FIGURE 3
FIGURE 4

FIGURE 4
FIGURE 5

FIGURE 5
FIGURE 6

FIGURE 6
NARROW-BILLED WOODCREEPER Lepidocolaptes angustirostris
Like other woodcreepers, the Narrow-billed lives a woodpeckerish lifestyle, climbing trunks and probing for food amongst the crevices of the bark. Unlike woodpeckers which have a highly-specialised foot design with two toes pointing forwards and two toes pointing backwards (zygodactyl), the woodcreepers have a "normally-shaped" foot (anisodactyl) with three toes forward and one back. Though his long bill may look ungainly, it is actually a sensitive and highly-evolved hunting tool, allowing him to reach into the smallest crevices and pull out tasty grubs as if using a pair of tweezers.
FIGURE 1 - Adult, Loma Plata, Departamento Presidente Hayes (Gijs Lindeman February 2007).
FIGURE 2 - Adult, Antiguo Ferrocarril km 80 de Puerto Casado, Departamento Boquerón (Paul Smith September 2006)
FIGURE 3 - Adult, Ruta Trans-Chaco km650 (Paul Smith July).
FIGURE 4 - Head detail, same individual (Paul Smith July).
FIGURE 5 - Upperwing, same individual (Paul Smith July).
FIGURE 6 - Adult leaving nest, Laguna Capitan, Cuenca Upper Yacaré Sur (Paul Smith October 2007).
VIDEO - Same individual as Fig 4&5 (Paul Smith July).
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.
Photographs on this web-site were taken by Paul Smith, Hemme Batjes, Regis Nossent, Frank Fragano,
Alberto Esquivel, Arne Lesterhuis, José Luis Cartes, Rebecca Zarza and Hugo del Castillo and are used with their permission.