Slaty Spinetail

Overview

The slaty spinetail, or slaty castlebuilder, is a passerine bird in the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found from Honduras south to Peru and is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, with a stable population estimated at over 500,000 mature individuals.

Identification

• Adults measure 14 to 16 cm in length and possess a long, spiny tail where the feathers lack barbs at their tips.
• Plumage features a deep rufous-chestnut crown and nape, a dark sooty brown to slate-brown back, and a grayish supercilium on a darker gray face.
• The throat is blackish, transitioning to a dark sooty brown breast and a paler, grayer brown belly.
• Song descriptions include 'ch-ch-ch-churrr-r-r-r' and wren-like hard trills, accompanied by 'chk' and 'chee-ah' calls while foraging.

Habitat

The species inhabits a variety of landscapes with dense undergrowth, including second-growth scrublands, riparian thickets, overgrown clearings, and the edges of montane and tropical evergreen forests. It is also found locally in thorn scrub, swamp edges, and gardens, typically at elevations below 1,400 m, though it reaches up to 2,000 m in Colombia.

Diet

The slaty spinetail feeds mostly on arthropods but also consumes seeds. It usually forages in pairs, gleaning prey from live and dead leaves and small branches in low vegetation, as well as from leaf litter on the ground.

Did you know?

Despite being a member of the 'ovenbird' family, which is named for its elaborate clay nests, this species constructs a bulky mass of thorny sticks with a horizontal entrance tube. The egg chamber is lined with soft leaves and spider web, and frequently includes snake and lizard skins.