Cranioleuca muelleri
The Scaled Spinetail (Cranioleuca muelleri) is a small, energetic ovenbird, typically measuring around 14-15 cm in length and weighing between 12-16 grams. This neotropical species is characterized by its distinctive rufous crown, contrasting with a whitish supercilium that extends over the eye, and an olive-brown back marked with subtle scaling or streaking, giving it its common name. Its underparts are a pale grayish-buff, and its relatively long, graduated tail often shows rufous accents, ...
Exclusively found in lowland várzea and igapó forests, which are seasonally or permanently flooded forests along rivers, primarily in the Amazon basin. It generally remains below 200 meters elevation.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on small insects and other arthropods gleaned from leaves, bark, and mosses in the forest canopy and sub-canopy.
The Scaled Spinetail is a diurnal and highly active insectivore, typically observed singly or in pairs, often as a component of mixed-species foraging flocks, where it moves rapidly through the understory and mid-canopy. It employs an acrobatic foraging strategy, meticulously gleaning insects and...
The Scaled Spinetail (Cranioleuca muelleri) is an endemic resident of the lower Amazon Basin in northern Brazil, specifically restricted to the state of Pará. Its distribution follows the main channel of the Rio Amazonas and its lower tributaries, including the lower reaches of the Rio Tapajós an...
Least Concern
- The Scaled Spinetail is endemic to a very specific, limited region within the Brazilian Amazon, making it a specialist of the flooded forest ecosystems. - It is often seen as a member of mixed-species foraging flocks, moving rapidly through the forest canopy alongside other insectivorous birds....