Diet

• Primarily insects and other arthropods, including beetles, ants, termites, caterpillars, spiders, cockroaches, and insect larvae.

• Occasionally feeds on small lizards, tree frogs, and other small vertebrates.

• Forages by climbing tree trunks and large branches in a manner similar to a woodpecker, probing bark crevices and epiphytes with its long, slightly decurved bill. It often joins mixed-species foraging flocks.

Range

• Found from western and northeastern Mexico through Central America to northwestern Colombia.

• In Mexico, it is widespread along both the Pacific and Gulf slopes, including the Zihuatanejo region, where it is a common year-round resident.

• Inhabits tropical dry forests, tropical evergreen forests, semi-deciduous forests, gallery forests, mature secondary forests, and woodland edges, generally from sea level to about 2,000 m.

Male / Female

• Male: Brown upperparts with buff to cinnamon streaking on the head, neck, and breast, warm buff underparts, a conspicuous pale eyebrow, stiff tail feathers used for support while climbing, and a long ivory-coloured, slightly curved bill.

• Female: Virtually identical in plumage and size to the male.

• Juveniles: Similar to adults but duller, with shorter bills and less distinct streaking.

• Sexes cannot be distinguished in the field, as there are no consistent plumage differences.

Size

• Length: 20–25 cm (7.9–9.8 in)

• Wingspan: 30–35 cm (11.8–13.8 in)

• Weight: 35–55 g (1.2–1.9 oz)