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In my travels in the neotropics, one of my favorite new families of birds to which I've been introduced
is dendrocolaptidae, the woodcreepers. These birds are occasionally gregarious, but often hard to pick out, and offer interesting identification
challenges, the distinction between species generally being some combination of bill shape and color, tail shape, and head and breast plumage. The Plain-brown
Woodcreeper pictured here is perhaps the most easily spotted species in Panama- this one was in attendance at an ant swarm on Semaphore Hill. This species also represents
the few failings of the regional field guide, as the bird generally has more distinct black facial stripes than illustrated in A Guide to the Birds of Panama. I was actually quite close to this bird,
but it was tucked deep in the underbrush, and there just wasn't enough light for good stills to be obtained.
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