Plain-mantled Tit-Spinetail

Overview

The plain-mantled tit-spinetail (Leptasthenura aegithaloides) is a small passerine bird belonging to the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is native to South America and exhibits significant subspecific variation across its range.

Identification

• Size and build: A small, slender, long-tailed bird measuring 15 to 17 cm in length and weighing 7.5 to 11 g.
• Plumage: Adults of the nominate subspecies have a dark brownish face with a white supercilium and wide golden-tawny streaks on the crown; upperparts are dull brownish and underparts are dull grayish brown.
• Bill and legs: Possesses a short bill with a blackish to dark gray-brown maxilla and dark horn to greenish gray mandible; legs and feet are gray to blackish.
• Song: The nominate subspecies sings a high-pitched descending broken trill lasting 2–5 seconds, described as 'chikiti-chikiti-chikiti-chikiti-ti-ti-ti-pweew'.

Habitat

The species is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru, with different subspecies occupying distinct environments from arid scrublands and open forests to puna grasslands and scrublands at the transition between lower elevation forests and higher steppe. Elevational ranges vary widely by subspecies, from sea level to 4,300 m, and they inhabit both natural vegetation and human-modified areas such as agricultural fields and oases.

Diet

The plain-mantled tit-spinetail feeds on arthropods, typically foraging in pairs, small family groups, or flocks of up to 40 individuals in the non-breeding season. It forages by gleaning prey from foliage, flower clusters, twigs, and branches, often joining mixed-species feeding flocks and sometimes hanging upside down to reach insects.

Did you know?

The nominate subspecies has been documented nesting within the active nests of larger species, including the variable hawk and the monk parakeet, in addition to using natural cavities and abandoned nests.