Leptasthenura andicola
The Andean Tit-Spinetail (Leptasthenura andicola) is a diminutive and highly active passerine, known for its tit-like demeanor despite belonging to the ovenbird family (Furnariidae). Measuring approximately 14-16 cm in length, with a significant portion attributed to its long, stiff, graduated tail, and weighing 8-12 grams, this species is a master of high-altitude acrobatics. Its plumage is a drab yet intricately patterned mix of grayish-brown to dull brown, with a distinctly streaked crown ...
This species primarily inhabits high-elevation Andean scrublands, puna grasslands with scattered shrubs, and especially fragmented Polylepis woodlands, typically found between 3,000 and 5,000 meters.
Their diet consists almost exclusively of small arthropods, including insects and spiders, which they glean actively from vegetation.
Andean Tit-Spinetails are diurnal and exceptionally active, constantly flitting and gleaning through vegetation. Their foraging strategy involves acrobatic movements, often hanging upside down to extract small arthropods from foliage, bark crevices, and mosses. They are typically seen in pairs or...
The Andean Tit-Spinetail is an endemic resident of the high Andes, with its distribution stretching from central Peru southward through Bolivia, to northern Chile and northwestern Argentina. It occupies a significant latitudinal range within this mountainous spine, but its presence is strictly al...
Least Concern
- Despite their common name, Andean Tit-Spinetails are not true tits (family Paridae) but belong to the ovenbird family (Furnariidae), demonstrating an impressive case of convergent evolution. - They are one of the highest-dwelling passerines in the Andes, regularly found at elevations over 4,000...