Marcapata Spinetail

Overview

The Marcapata spinetail (Cranioleuca marcapatae) is a bird species in the ovenbird family Furnariidae, endemic to Peru. It is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, although its population size is unknown but believed to be stable.

Identification

• Size and plumage: 14.5 to 16 cm long with a grayish face, white throat, and grayish buff underparts.
• Upperparts: Reddish chestnut crown with a short crest and black sides, transitioning to a grayish nape and rufous back, tail, and wings.
• Bill and legs: Maxilla is grayish horn, mandible is silvery to blue-gray, and legs are olive green.
• Vocalisations: Song is a thin, descending, accelerating series of high, liquid notes described as "tew ti-ti-ti'ti'titititi"; calls include "tew-tik" and "tewp".

Habitat

Found exclusively in southeastern Peru's Department of Cuzco, spanning from the upper Río Urubamba basin east to the valley of the Río Marcapata. It inhabits the understory of humid evergreen montane forest, favouring areas with thickets of Chusquea bamboo at elevations of 2,400 to 3,350 m.

Diet

The species feeds on arthropods, though specific dietary details are unknown. It forages in pairs or small family groups within mixed-species flocks, gleaning prey from moss, bromeliads, and bark while hitching along limbs between 2 and 10 m above the ground.

Did you know?

Breeding biology is poorly understood, with young recorded in February, April, May, August, and December, while one observed nest was constructed as an oval ball of moss, bark strips, and twigs hanging from a tree limb.