Perija Thistletail

Overview

The Perija thistletail (Asthenes perijana) is an Endangered bird species endemic to the Perijá Mountains in Colombia and Venezuela. It was previously considered a subspecies of the white-chinned thistletail but is now recognised as a distinct, monotypic species within the ovenbird family.

Identification

• Adults measure 19 to 22 cm in length and feature a long, deeply forked tail with a ragged appearance due to few barbs at the feather ends.
• Plumage consists of a grayish olive-brown crown, back, and wings, with chestnut coverts and a cinnamon-buff patch on the chin.
• The bill has a black maxilla and a grayish mandible with a black tip, while the legs are gray and the iris is reddish brown.
• The song comprises 3-5 drawn-out high-pitched 'pee' notes followed by a short descending dry trill.

Habitat

This species is restricted to the Serranía del Perijá, a mountain range straddling the border between northeastern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela. It primarily inhabits páramo grasslands, the upper edge of cloud forest, and dense undergrowth at the tree line, between elevations of 2,950 and 3,400 m.

Diet

The Perija thistletail feeds mostly on arthropods and occasionally consumes berries. It forages in the undergrowth, usually singly or in pairs, by gleaning prey from foliage and branches.

Did you know?

Protection in Venezuela's Sierra de Perijá National Park is described as only nominal, leaving the species particularly vulnerable to threats such as narcotics cultivation and uncontrolled colonisation on the slopes.