Cranioleuca curtata
The Ash-browed Spinetail (Cranioleuca curtata) is a small, inconspicuous passerine bird belonging to the Furnariidae family, known as ovenbirds. Averaging 14-15 cm in length and weighing 12-16 grams, its plumage is generally dull olive-brown above, with a distinctive ashy-gray supercilium contrasting with a rufous or chestnut crown. The underparts are paler, olive-buff, and it possesses a relatively short, fine bill. This species exhibits no significant seasonal plumage variations or sexual d...
This spinetail inhabits humid montane cloud forests and their borders, typically favoring the understory and mid-story, often associated with bamboo thickets. It is found at elevations ranging from 900 to 2,500 meters, occasionally reaching up to 3,000 meters.
Primarily insectivorous, the Ash-browed Spinetail consumes small arthropods, including insects and spiders, which it gleans actively from foliage, twigs, and bark.
The Ash-browed Spinetail is a diurnal species, known for its active foraging behavior, often participating in mixed-species flocks with other insectivores. It moves quickly and acrobatically through dense vegetation, gleaning insects and small arthropods from leaves, twigs, and bark, frequently h...
The Ash-browed Spinetail is a resident species endemic to the humid eastern slopes of the Andes in South America. Its range extends from extreme southern Colombia (specifically Nariño) southward through eastern Ecuador and eastern Peru. The nominate subspecies, *C. c. curtata*, occupies this nort...
Least Concern
- Its genus name *Cranioleuca* translates to "pale head" from Greek, a nod to the often light or streaked heads of some spinetail species, though *curtata* sports a rufous crown. - Despite its drab appearance, its distinctive, accelerating vocalization is often the most reliable way to detect its...