Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper

14 cm. Upperparts dull dark brown. A prominent white superciliary. The sides of head also with white spots and the cheeks with whitish streaks. Wings dark brown. Underneath dusky-brown with white drop-like spots which coalesce at the chin. Tail black. <NImmature has less sharply defined white spots underneath. Call a three syllable-call "tsisisik ... tsisisik ..." many times repeated. Also longer series of "tsik"s. The song is an eight to ten second long stacatto sequence of "tsik" notes starting and ending slower on a lower pitch see vocalization 3 . Terrestrial, walking around on the ground in dense vegetation. Sometimes entering water. Perches sometimes several feet above ground. Uses bill to excavate gallery in banks of brooks etc. The spherical nest with a side entrance is located at the end of the burrow ^30 . A ground furnarid of wet locations. Terrestrial, inhabiting shady borders of streams, brooks and ponds. Also visits sewer outlets. Up to 2500 meters. Nearly throughout but rare in coastal areas. 14267 Calls, Ubatuba, Nucleo Sta. Virginia, 10<10>30<10>93. Sunny, 23<91>C.: 3258 Call. Cornell Cat 22031. Nova Lombardia Reserve, Espirito Santo, 10<10>27<10>80. Recording by T. A. Parker, III.: 15485 Song. Cornell Cat 34032. Taimbexhino, Serra Das Apartados NP, Rio Grande do Sul. Recording by T. A. Parker, III.: 5323 >: