Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
The widespread destruction of dry forest in eastern Brazil is causing a rapid decline in the population of this species. It therefore qualifies as Vulnerable.
Population justification
The population size is not known, but the species is described as uncommon, rare and local (Marantz et al. 2020). Observational records are scarce and scattered (eBird 2023), suggesting that the species forms multiple disconnected subpopulations.
Trend justification
The population appears to be in decline caused by the loss of its habitat within the range, with the rate of decline being roughly equivalent to the rate of habitat loss (Araújo et al. 2023). Over the three generations (13.3 years) between 2000 and 2013, the species has lost 32% of its habitat (Araújo et al. 2023 and references therein). Under the assumption that this is continuing at the same rate to the present day, declines are here placed in the band 30-39% over three generations.
Xiphocolaptes falcirostris has a wide but highly fragmented distribution in north-east Brazil: east Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, west Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, Pernambuco, Bahia and north Minas Gerais (Araújo et al. 2023, eBird 2023).
It inhabits gallery forest, wooded caatinga, as well as intact and slightly disturbed dry forests and woodland (Marantz et al. 2020, Araújo et al. 2023). It feeds on insect larvae, ants, snails and beetles (Marantz et al. 2020). The breeding period probably spans the austral summer (Marantz et al. 2020).
The species is threatened by the loss and degradation of its habitat through large-scale clearance and selective logging (Araújo et al. 2023). Clearance for irrigated and dry field agriculture, for livestock pastures and for the creation of Eucalyptus plantations has removed extensive tracts of forest (da Silva and Oren 1997, Araújo et al. 2023).
Conservation Actions Underway
The species occurs in several protected areas across its range, including in Cavernas do Peruaçu, Serra da Capivara, Serra das Confusões and Ubajara National Parks (Araújo et al. 2023). It is included in a multi-species action plan for the conservation of birds of the caatinga (ICMBio 2019).
Conservation Actions Proposed
Survey areas of suitable habitat to locate additional populations, obtain population density estimates and quantify the total population size and trend. Study the species' ecology and population structure. Monitor the population trend. Monitor rates of habitat loss.
Expand the area of suitable habitat that has protected status. Raise awareness for the species and its habitat. Restrict monocultures and plantations to already cleared land in order to avoid conversion of dry forest and caatinga.
29 cm. Large, heavy-billed woodcreeper. Dark rufous-brown crown, with faint pale streaking. Long eyebrow and broad subocular stripe. Otherwise rufous-brown, brightest on mantle and tinged buffy on underparts with inconspicuous buffy shafts on flanks and faint barring on belly. Long, heavy, dark bill. Race franciscanus has darker underparts and almost unstreaked crown, but there is considerable overlap between both forms. Similar spp. White-throated Woodcreeper X. albicollis is more olivaceous, and is heavily streaked and barred. Voice Spaced series of far-carrying and descending notes.
Text account compilers
Hermes, C.
Contributors
Capper, D., Pople, R., Sharpe, C.J. & Symes, A.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Moustached Woodcreeper Xiphocolaptes falcirostris. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/moustached-woodcreeper-xiphocolaptes-falcirostris on 23/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/12/2024.