- Sittasomus griseicapillus
Identification
15cm. Grey-olive head, upper back and underparts, light rufous wings, tail and lower back. The bill is short and thin. The normal call is a fast, high-pitched trill wu-wu-wu-we-we-we-we-ee-ee-ee-ee-we-we-we-we.
Distribution
Mexico through tropical Central America and South America to northern Argentina, and also on Tobago.
Taxonomy
The subspecies is sylviellus. It is the only member of the genus Sittasomus, but the taxon includes several vocally and morphologically distinct froms, so this species may be split in the future.
Habitat
Forests and other woodland.
Behaviour
It builds a nest lined with dead leaves in a natural tree hole (not old woodpecker hole), and lays 3 white eggs. Usually, only one parent tends the young.
The diet includes insects and spiders. It normally forages on tree trunks or large branches or on the ground, usually alone.
References
Bodrati et al. 2012. Ornithologia Neotropical 23(3):325-334
