Sylviorthorhynchus yanacensis
The Tawny Tit-Spinetail, Sylviorthorhynchus yanacensis, is a diminutive and engaging passerine bird belonging to the ovenbird family, Furnariidae, distinguished by its long, graduated tail which often appears spiky. Measuring a mere 10-12 cm in length, including its proportionally long tail that can be half its body size, and weighing just 8-10 grams, it is a truly tiny denizen of the high Andes. Its plumage is predominantly tawny to rufous-brown across its upperparts, with a paler, often buf...
This species inhabits high-altitude temperate to semi-arid scrublands, particularly favoring stunted Polylepis woodlands, treeline ecotones, and dense shrubbery along ravines and rocky slopes. It is found exclusively at elevations typically ranging from 3,000 to 4,800 meters above sea level.
The Tawny Tit-Spinetail is primarily insectivorous, feeding on a variety of small insects and other arthropods gleaned from foliage, bark, and mosses.
The Tawny Tit-Spinetail is a highly active and elusive diurnal bird, constantly flitting through dense vegetation, often in pairs or small family groups. It employs an acrobatic foraging style, gleaning insects and other arthropods from leaves, twigs, and bark, frequently hanging upside down or p...
The Tawny Tit-Spinetail is a non-migratory resident of the high Andes Mountains, exhibiting a somewhat disjunct distribution across Peru, Bolivia, and extreme northern Argentina. In Peru, its range includes the central and southern Andes, with populations documented in departments such as JunÃn, ...
Least Concern
- The Tawny Tit-Spinetail was once considered the same species as a different spinetail, Leptasthenura yanacensis, before genetic evidence solidified its unique placement in the genus Sylviorthorhynchus. - Despite its tiny size (often less than 12 cm long), its tail alone can account for nearly h...