This poorly known species is listed as "near threatened" by IUCN. The main threat is deforestation in the Amazon basin, especially in Brazil where recently proposed changes to the Brazilian Forest Code will seriously impact forest buffers along streams. This species closely resembles the Straight-billed Woodcreeper but Zimmer's specializes in seasonally flooded forests and river islands in the Amazon and its tributaries. The two also have distinctly different vocalizations. We were able to confirm the identification by its voice, a series of rapid high-pitched notes, faster and more evenly spaced than that of Straight-billed.