Ruddy woodcreeper

The ruddy woodcreeper (Dendrocincla homochroa) is a passerine bird in subfamily Dendrocolaptinae of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found from southern Mexico to northern Colombia and extreme northern Venezuela.

The ruddy woodcreeper is 17.5 to 20.5 cm (6.9 to 8.1 in) long. Males weigh 34 to 45 g (1.2 to 1.6 oz) and females 27 to 39 g (0.95 to 1.4 oz). The species is a medium-sized member of its genus, with a straight bill, a short tail, and a large head with a ruffled nape. The sexes have the same plumage. The nominate subspecies has dark rufous to chestnut-brown upperparts with a brighter reddish crown. Its wings, uppertail coverts, and tail are rufous chestnut. The tips of its primaries are dusky. It has grayish lores and eyering and a cinnamon-buff to tawny-ochraceous throat. Its underparts are rufous brown with a paler belly and more rufous undertail coverts. Its underwing coverts are pale rufous. Its iris is reddish brown to pale chestnut-brown and its legs and feet pale grayish to grayish brown. Its bill is highly variable; it can be dusky brownish, grayish, dull pinkish with a blackish tip, or all black.

Subspecies D. h. acedesta is larger, darker, and more olive than the nominate and its throat and belly are not as pale. D. h. ruficeps is slightly larger than acedesta, has a heavier bill, and is slightly paler overall. D. h. meridionalis has a darker chestnut crown and darker and more olive-brown upperparts than the other three subspecies.