Red-billed Woodcreeper (Hylexetastes perrotii) [XC504915]
by Cameron Rutt from Iracema Falls, Presidente Figuereido, AM, Brazil (call)
Red-billed Woodcreeper (Hylexetastes perrotii) [XC9161]
by GABRIEL LEITE from La Barquilla de Fresa Lodge, Las Claritas, Bolivar, Venezuela (call)
Subspecies
Hylexetastes perrotii (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) has been split into Red-billed Woodcreeper (Hylexetastes perrotii) and Uniform Woodcreeper (Hylexetastes uniformis) following Ridgely and Tudor (1994), contra SACC (2005), pending the outcome of investigation into the taxonomy of this form by SACC.
Close to and possibly conspecific with Bar-bellied Woodcreeper (Hylexetastes stresemanni), having similarities in voice and morphology. Subspecies insignis of Bar-bellied Woodcreeper (Hylexetastes stresemanni) has characters suggesting possible intergradation between the two. Subspecies uniformis treated by some authors as a separate species on basis of differences in plumage and, to lesser extent, body size, despite vocal similarity and a lack of behavioral data; brigidai recently described as a full species on basis of diagnostic but relatively subtle plumage characters, but is similar structurally and vocally to uniformis; intermediates not known, but total number of specimens small. However, morphological and vocal similarities to nominate (songs possibly not identical) suggest that both are better considered subspecies of present species.
The following 3 subspecies are recognised:
perrotii (Lsfresnaye, 1844) - North-eastern Amazonia, north of Amazon, in eastern Venezuela (R Yuruán, in north-eastern Bolivar), the Guianas and northern Brazil (lower R Negro and central Roraima east to Amapá).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet