Photo: Brian Ralphs from Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, UK / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Scale-throated Earthcreeper
Upucerthia dumetaria
Scale-throated Earthcreeper (Upucerthia dumetaria) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Scale-throated Earthcreeper (Upucerthia dumetaria) is a member of the Furnariidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 48.7 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Furnariidae Ovenbirds
- Genus Upucerthia
- Species dumetaria
Quick facts
- Weight
- 48.7 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Furnariidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Scale-throated Earthcreeper is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open scrub and shrubland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Scale-throated Earthcreeper is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Scale-throated Earthcreeper (Upucerthia dumetaria) is a member of the Furnariidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA Southern Cone.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 48.7 g, with a wing length of about 10 cm and a tail of around 8.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 1.9 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Scale-throated Earthcreeper?
The Scale-throated Earthcreeper is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 48.7 g.
Where does the Scale-throated Earthcreeper live?
The Scale-throated Earthcreeper is found across South America with a range covering SA Southern Cone, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Scale-throated Earthcreeper belong to?
The Scale-throated Earthcreeper (Upucerthia dumetaria) belongs to the Furnariidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Scale-throated Earthcreeper eat?
The Scale-throated Earthcreeper is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Scale-throated Earthcreeper migrate?
The Scale-throated Earthcreeper is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Scale-throated Earthcreeper endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Scale-throated Earthcreeper make?
1 real field recording of the Scale-throated Earthcreeper — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Scale-throated Earthcreeper's range?
The Scale-throated Earthcreeper has a mapped global range of about 1.9 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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Meet the Furnariidae
A field guide to the Furnariidae family — 321 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.