Tarphonomus certhioides
The Chaco Earthcreeper (Tarphonomus certhioides) is a fascinating terrestrial ovenbird of the Furnariidae family, measuring 16-18 cm (6.3-7.1 in) in length and weighing 25-33 grams. Its plumage is generally dusky brown to grayish on the upperparts, contrasting with paler, often buffy-tinged underparts and a distinctive whitish supercilium above a dark eye-line. A slightly decurved, strong bill and long, robust legs are characteristic adaptations for its ground-dwelling lifestyle, and it often...
Found primarily in arid and semi-arid Chaco thornscrub, dry open woodlands, and savanna habitats, often on sandy or rocky soils, typically at low to moderate elevations up to 1,200 meters.
Their diet consists almost entirely of invertebrates, including various insects and spiders, which they primarily find by foraging on the ground.
Chaco Earthcreepers are diurnal and predominantly solitary or observed in pairs, exhibiting a remarkably terrestrial lifestyle. They forage by rapidly walking or hopping across the ground, frequently probing the soil with their stout bills, flipping leaf litter, and gleaning insects from low vege...
The Chaco Earthcreeper is a resident species found across a significant portion of the Gran Chaco region of South America. Its distribution spans central and northern Argentina, extending west into eastern Bolivia, and east into western Paraguay. Two recognized subspecies exist: *T. c. certhioide...
Least Concern
- The 'Chaco' in its name refers to the distinctive Gran Chaco ecoregion of South America, its primary habitat. - It belongs to the Ovenbird family (Furnariidae), a diverse group known for their intricate, often oven-like, nests, though this species uses pre-existing cavities. - Its genus *Tarpho...