Striolated Tit-Spinetail

Overview

The striolated tit-spinetail (Leptasthenura striolata) is a small, long-tailed bird belonging to the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is endemic to southern Brazil, where it inhabits temperate forests and riparian thickets. The species is currently assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN and is considered fairly common, including in human-disturbed habitats.

Identification

• 15 to 16 cm long and weighing 10 to 11 g, with a short bill and greenish legs and feet.
• Features a buff-whitish supercilium on a grayish face, a black crown with buff streaks, and brown upperparts with obvious buff streaks on the back.
• Underparts are dull pale ochraceous with brownish speckles on the throat and upper breast; the graduated tail appears forked.
• Song consists of a level, short, hurried series of 2-5 very high, thin or full notes, often rendered as "psi, psi-psi, ks-ks-ksks-ks".

Habitat

Found in the southern Brazilian states of Paraná and Santa Catarina, extending somewhat into northern Rio Grande do Sul. It inhabits temperate forests dominated by Podocarpus and Araucaria, as well as riparian thickets and secondary forest, favouring forest edges rather than the interior of tall forest. The species occupies elevations between 500 and 1,200 m.

Diet

Feeds on arthropods, typically foraging in pairs or occasionally joining mixed-species feeding flocks. It moves from the forest understorey to the canopy, gleaning prey from foliage and branches, and often hangs upside down to reach food.

Did you know?

The species builds a platform nest of twigs and moss lined with feathers, usually inside a natural cavity or an old woodpecker hole. It is monogamous and both parents provision the nestlings, although the specific clutch size and incubation period remain unknown.