Platyrinchus saturatus
The Cinnamon-crested Spadebill (Platyrinchus saturatus) is a diminutive and exquisitely cryptic tyrant-flycatcher, a true gem of the Amazonian understory. Measuring a mere 9-10 cm (3.5-4 in) in length and weighing around 8-10 grams, it is characterized by its exceptionally broad, flattened bill, which gives the genus "spadebill" its name. Its plumage is predominantly rufous-brown on the upperparts, with a paler, somewhat ochraceous underbelly, and a distinctive cinnamon-rufous crest that is o...
This species exclusively inhabits the humid understory of pristine lowland tropical rainforests, typically below 500 meters (1,640 feet) elevation, favoring areas with dense vegetation.
The primary diet consists of small arthropods, including insects (such as beetles, flies, and caterpillars) and spiders, which it primarily captures through sally-gleaning from foliage.
The Cinnamon-crested Spadebill is a notoriously solitary and elusive insectivore, spending its days silently patrolling the forest understory. Its foraging strategy is specialized: it typically perches motionless on a low branch, often concealed amidst dense foliage, then makes rapid, short sally...
The Cinnamon-crested Spadebill is a resident species found throughout a vast portion of the Amazon Basin in South America. Its breeding range, where it resides year-round, extends from eastern Venezuela and the Guianas (Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana) southward through much of Amazonian Brazil. ...
Least Concern
- The Cinnamon-crested Spadebill possesses one of the broadest bills relative to its body size among all Neotropical birds, perfectly adapted for its unique foraging strategy. - Its scientific genus, Platyrinchus, literally means "flat beak" or "broad beak," a direct reference to this defining fe...