Montane foliage-gleaner

Appearance

It is about 16.5 cm long. "Above mostly olivaceous brown to slightly rufescent brown, crown grayer with "prom. buffy white eyering and postocular streak"; dusky cheeks faintly streaked buff, "tail contrasting bright rufous", throat dull white faintly mottled dusky, rest of underparts pale olivaceous buff with a few vague dusky streaks on chest."

Distribution

Fairly common and generally widespread in canopy and borders of montane forest; the most frequently seen foliage-gleaner in many subtropical Andean forests. Relatively easy to watch, the Montane Foliage-gleaner forages actively, sometimes even acrobatically, at middle and upper tree levels, clambering along branches, often hanging upside down or moving out onto terminal twigs, pausing to inspect epiphytes and dead leaves. One or 2 regularly accompany many mixed flocks. Not very vocal, but foraging birds give an occasional sharp "peck" call; dawn song is a series of tyrannid-like, irregularly paced "pik" or "peck" notes.

Behavior

It sings "an accelerating-decelerating series of thin, metallic notes; sometimes on an even pitch, but often it falls before rising: "chip chip chip-chip-chip'tip'tip'tiptiptipt'tip'tip'chip-chip chip.""