The chestnut-winged hookbill is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Region
Amazon Basin
Typical Environment
Occurs in lowland tropical rainforest across parts of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. It favors dense understory and edge thickets, especially areas with vine tangles and stands of bamboo (e.g., Guadua). Found in both terra firme and seasonally flooded várzea forest, as well as along river margins and old second-growth with sufficient understory structure. Generally avoids heavily open or extensively degraded habitats but can persist where thickets remain.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This species is the sole member of its genus and is notable for its strongly hooked bill, unusual among ovenbirds. It uses that bill to pry into rolled leaves, bamboo culms, and bark flakes to extract hidden arthropods. It often associates with bamboo-dominated habitats in the Amazon Basin and may join mixed-species understory flocks. Its vocalizations are subtle and it can be quite skulking, making it easy to overlook.
Illustration in Avium Species Novae by von Spix
Temperament
skulking and quiet in dense cover
Flight Pattern
short, direct flights with rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs within dense understory. Frequently accompanies mixed-species flocks of understory insectivores while foraging. Territorial pairs likely maintain year-round territories. Nesting biology is poorly known, but like many furnariids it likely builds a concealed nest in cavities or dense vegetation.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a short series of thin, slightly accelerating notes or a soft rattle delivered from low perches. Calls are dry ticks and subtle chips that can be hard to detect amid forest noise.
Plumage
Overall brown-olive to dusky brown with prominent chestnut wing panels and often a rufescent tail; underparts buffy to olive-buff with subtle streaking on the throat. Feathers appear fairly plain but with warm rufous tones on the wings that stand out in good light.
Diet
Primarily feeds on arthropods such as insects and spiders. Uses its hooked bill to pry open rolled leaves, probe bamboo culms, and lift bark flakes to extract hidden prey. Gleans deliberately through dense thickets and vine tangles, often focusing on dead leaf clusters where insects accumulate.
Preferred Environment
Forages in the shaded understory and midstory, especially in bamboo stands, vine tangles, and along forest edges within intact rainforest. Also works along riverine thickets and secondary growth where dense cover persists.
