Wedge-billed Woodcreeper (Glyphorynchus spirurus) [XC782441]
by Jos\u00e9 Mar\u00eda Loaiza B. from Feliz Natal, Fazenda Bahia, Mato Grosso, Brazil (call, song)
Wedge-billed Woodcreeper (Glyphorynchus spirurus) [XC44068]
by Andrew Spencer from Mana, Acarouany river, French Guiana (song)
Subspecies
An exceptionally small and morphologically distinctive woodcreeper that, despite appearing similar to a Xenops (Furnariidae), is allied with woodcreepers on the basis of both anatomy and pterylosis. Possibility that more than one species is involved suggested by existence of two markedly different song types, combined with several well-differentiated subspecies. However, molecular data suggest gene flow between some neighbouring, morphologically distinctive subspecies. Significant genetic distances have been documented between some populations, but geographical pattern difficult to explain; genetic differentiation inconsistent with subspecific taxonomy, but may better support geographical patterns defined by vocalizations. All birds in central Brazil eastern from R Tapajós tentatively placed with paraensis, but those from eastern bank of R Xingu said to be intermediate between that and inornatus; recent records from north-eastern Bolivia (Santa Cruz) also probably attributable to latter subspecies; more work needed to clarify limits of subspecies. Characters of rufigularis possibly lie within range of individual variation of castelnaudii, a highly variable taxon. Described subspecies sublestus (southern Central America) synonymized with individually variable pectoralis (birds from Nicaragua and Costa Rica intermediate between the two), which intergrades with pallidulus in eastern Panama (Caribbean slope in south-eastern Colón).
The following 13 subspecies are recognised:
pectoralis Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1860 - Central America, from southern Mexico (southern Veracruz, northern Oaxaca, Chiapas, mostly Caribbean slope), central Guatemala (Caribbean slope, rarely Petén) and Belize, south to Costa Rica (both slopes) and central and western Panama (on Caribbean Slope east to eastern Colón, on Pacific slope to western Chiriquí).
pallidulus Wetmore, 1970 - Eastern Panama (Caribbean slope from south-eastern Colón east through San Blas, Pacific slope from eastern Panamá east to northern Darién) and adjacent north-western Colombia (northern Chocó).
subrufescens Todd, 1948 - Pacific coast of south-eastern Panama (R Jaqué Valley, in south-western Darién), western Colombia (northern Chocó and Antioquia south to Nariño, also upper valleys of R Atrato and R San Juan) and western Ecuador.
integratus Zimmer, JT, 1946 - Northern Colombia (upper R Sinú east to middle Magdalena Valley and south to western Boyacá, also east of Andes from Norte de Santander south to north-western Arauca) and western Venezuela (Zulia, southern Táchira, western Mérida, north-western Barinas, south-eastern Lara).
rufigularis Zimmer, JT, 1934 - North-western Amazonia, north of Amazon, from central Colombia (southern from Meta and Vichada) and southern Venezuela (southern Bolívar, Amazonas) south to north-eastern Ecuador (upper R Napo) and north-western Brazil (east to eastern bank on upper and western bank on lower R Negro).
spirurus (Vieillot, 1819) - North-eastern Amazonia, north of Amazon, in eastern Venezuela (north-eastern Bolívar), the Guianas and northern Brazil (lower R Negro east to Amapá).
coronobscurus Phelps & Phelps Jr, 1955 - Cerro de la Neblina (above 1400 m), in southern Venezuela (south-western Amazonas).
castelnaudii Des Murs, 1856 - Western Amazonia, south of Amazon and R Napo, in eastern and north-eastern Peru (south to Junín) and western Brazil (east to R Madeira).
albigularis Chapman, 1923 - South-western Amazonia in south-eastern Peru (Puno) and northern Bolivia (south to La Paz, Cochabamba).
inornatus Zimmer, JT, 1934 - Southern Amazonian Brazil (south of Amazon, from R Madeira east to R Tapajós and south to south-western Mato Grosso). Also recently recorded north-eastern Bolivia (Santa Cruz).
paraensis Pinto, 1974 - South-eastern Amazonian Brazil, south of Amazon, from R Tapajós east to northern Maranhío (including Marajó I).
cuneatus (Lichtenstein, MHK, 1820) - Coastal eastern Brazil (northern Bahia south to northern Espírito Santo); erroneously reported from Argentina.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet