Argentina (B), Bolivia (B), Brazil (B), Colombia (B), Costa Rica, Ecuador (B), French Guiana (B), Guyana (B), Honduras (B), Nicaragua (B), Panama (B), Peru (B), Suriname (B), Trinidad and Tobago (B), Venezuela (B).
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2011).
Plain-brown Woodcreeper (Dendrocincla fuliginosa) [XC222243]
by Niels Krabbe from Casa Maria, Carabobo, Venezuela (short rattle)
Plain-brown Woodcreeper (Dendrocincla fuliginosa) [XC456254]
by Charlie Vogt from San Francisco Nature Reserve, Torti, Panama (song)
Subspecies
Plain-brown Woodcreeper (Dendrocincla fuliginosa) and Plain-winged Woodcreeper (Dendrocincla turdina) (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) have been lumped into Dendrocincla fuliginosa following SACC (2005).
Forms a superspecies with Plain-winged Woodcreeper (Dendrocincla turdina), and often regarded as conspecific. Subspecies appear to be separable into three groups, which may represent distinct species. Geographically isolated "taunayi group" contains a single subspecies, affinities of which are uncertain because it is morphologically intermediate between present species and Plain-winged Woodcreeper (Dendrocincla turdina), but vocally distinct from both. Heterogeneous "meruloides group" also includes ridgwayi, lafresnayei, barinensis, deltana, phaeochroa and neglecta; within this group, significant genetic differences found between ridgwayi and neglecta, the two being separated by Andes. Remaining subspecies constitute the "fuliginosa group", also including rufoolivacea, trumaii and atrirostris, last of which is placed by some authors with Plain-winged Woodcreeper (Dendrocincla turdina) on basis of similar vocalizations and presence of crown streaking.
Proposed subspecies christiani (western Colombia) considered indistinguishable from ridgwayi; validity of several other currently accepted subspecies requires revision, e.g. neglecta may prove to be better merged with phaeochroa, barinensis with meruloides, and rufoolivacea with nominate. It appears that Plain-winged Woodcreeper (Dendrocincla turdina) and subspecies taunayi have evolved following separate invasions by stock of present species into southern and northern portions, respectively, of Atlantic forest.
The following 12 subspecies are recognised:
ridgwayi Oberholser, 1904 - South-eastern Honduras south, mostly on Caribbean slope (especially in north) to eastern Panama, also to western Colombia (Chocó lowlands east to upper Sinú and Atrato Valleys), western Ecuador and north-western Peru (Tumbes).
lafresnayei Ridgway, 1888 - Northern and eastern Colombia (Santa Marta region, Magdalena and Cauca valleys) and adjacent north-western Venezuela (north-western Zulia, Mérida, Táchira).
meruloides (Lafresnaye, 1851) - Northern Venezuela (L Maracaibo east to Paria Peninsula, south to Guárico and Monagas), also Trinidad and Tobago.
barinensis Phelps & Phelps Jr, 1949 - llanos of north-central Colombia (Norte de Santander, Boyacá, Arauca) and west-central Venezuela (Portuguesa south to Táchira and Apure).
phaeochroa von Berlepsch & Hartert, 1902 - North-western Amazonia from south-eastern Colombia east to southern Venezuela (north-western Bolívar, Amazonas) and south to north-western Brazil (upper R Negro and R Branco).
neglecta Todd, 1948 - Western Amazonia on both sides of R Solimíµes, from eastern Ecuador and eastern Peru east to western Brazil (east to R Negro and R Madeira).
fuliginosa (Vieillot, 1818) - North-eastern Amazonia north of Amazon, from south-eastern Venezuela (eastern Bolívar) east to the Guianas and in northern Brazil (lower R Negro east to Amapá); may cross R Amazon just east of R Madeira at Borba.
atrirostris (d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1838) - South-western Amazonia, in south-eastern Peru (Cuzco, Madre de Dios), north, north-eastern and central Bolivia and adjacent south-western Brazil (east to R Tapajós).
rufoolivacea Ridgway, 1888 - Eastern Amazonian Brazil south of Amazon, from R Tapajós east to northern Maranhío.
trumaii Sick, 1950 - Locally in southern Amazonian Brazil (upper R Xingu, in northern Mato Grosso).
taunayi Pinto, 1939 - North-eastern Brazil (eastern Pernambuco, eastern Alagoas). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Plain-winged Woodcreeper (Dendrocincla turdina).