Roraiman Barbtail

Overview

The Roraiman barbtail (Roraimia adusta) is a small, dramatically patterned bird belonging to the ovenbird family Furnariidae. As the sole member of its genus, it is a resident species found exclusively in the tepui region where Venezuela, Guyana, and Brazil meet.

Identification

• Measures 14 to 15 cm in length and weighs 14 to 20 g.
• Features a wide, bright chestnut supercilium that extends around the nape, contrasting with dark blackish-brown lores and ear coverts.
• Possesses a spiky tail where feathers lack barbs at the end, along with chestnut upperparts and dusky brown wing coverts edged in chestnut.
• Song consists of 7–8 clear notes that ascend rapidly, described as 'tee-tee-tee-teuu-teuu-tuutuu', and a very high, inquiring 'whit?' call.

Habitat

Inhabits humid montane evergreen forest and elfin forest, both primary and secondary, with a preference for landscapes rich in moss and epiphytes. Found at elevations ranging from 1,000 to 2,500 m, though in Brazil it occurs above 1,200 m. Its range is fragmented across specific tepui formations in Venezuela, Brazil, and Guyana.

Diet

Feeds on arthropods, usually foraging alone or in pairs while regularly joining mixed-species feeding flocks. Forages within the undergrowth, seldom more than 6 m above the ground, by gleaning prey from moss and epiphytes while hitching and creeping up trunks, branches, and vines.

Did you know?

Despite its common name, the bird's tail feathers are structurally unique among its relatives as they lack barbs at the end, giving them a distinctively spiky appearance.