The greater scythebill is a species of bird in the Dendrocolaptinae subfamily. This species is found at very low densities in highland forest in the Andes, ranging from southern Colombia to far northern Peru. It has traditionally been included in ''Campylorhamphus'' together with the other scythebills, but it is closer to the scimitar-billed woodcreeper, leading to the description of the new genus ''Drymotoxeres''.
Similar species: Perching Birds
By Thibaud Aronson
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Uploaded Feb 3, 2021. Captured Jan 21, 2021 10:08 in Fernando Belaunde Km 365.5, 01160, Peru.
comments (3)
I've got a whole bunch of photos to show you all, but for some reason I felt moved to start with this one. Not the prettiest bird, or the best photo, but one of the most memorable sightings.
Scythebills are some of the most remarkable woodcreepers, with the unmistakable curved bills that give them their name. While the other four are mostly lowland species, and some are reasonably common, the Greater Scythebill dwells in montane forests, and is very, very rare (inexplicably so). To give you an idea, this was the first record for the Alto Mayo area, even though it's one of the parts of Peru most frequently visited by birders, and some of the country's top birders live nearby.
What's even more remarkable, I've been fascinated with this species for a while, and I'd actually told a birder friend it was a dream of mine to spot one literally a week earlier! He confided that a friend of his had seen one in Colombia, and it was also a first for his guide, who had birded in that area for 15 years. And sure enough, when I did see it, it turned out to also be a lifer for my guide... who has been there for 15 years!
I've had some cool coincidences happen to me before, mentioning a rare bird I wanted to see, and then running into it soon thereafter, but this one has definitely been the most memorable so far. Posted 4 years ago, modified 4 years ago