The Chinchipe spinetail is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae, the ovenbirds. It is endemic to Peru.
Region
Northern Andes (Marañón–Chinchipe valleys)
Typical Environment
Occurs in arid and semi-arid intermontane valleys with dry forest, thorn scrub, and riparian thickets. It favors dense understory and scrubby slopes, often along stream courses and field edges. Birds are typically found in mosaics of native dry woodland, second growth, and scattered agricultural plots. It keeps low to mid-levels in vegetation, moving through tangles and viney thickets.
Altitude Range
600–1600 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Chinchipe spinetail is a skulking ovenbird restricted to the Río Chinchipe–Marañón dry valleys of northern Peru. It keeps to dense, thorny scrub and riparian thickets where it is far easier to detect by voice than by sight. Like many spinetails, it builds a bulky domed nest of sticks with a side entrance. Habitat loss in intermontane dry forests likely affects its small, localized populations.
Temperament
skulking and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low dashes between cover
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs, maintaining small territories year-round. Pairs communicate with duets and keep close contact while foraging. Nests are bulky, dome-shaped stick structures with a side entrance, placed in dense shrubs or low trees.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A dry, accelerating series of sharp chips and trills, often delivered from within cover. Calls include rasping chatters and ticking notes used for contact between pair members.
Plumage
Warm brown to rufescent upperparts with a long, graduated rufous tail; grayish face with a pale supercilium and whitish throat; underparts buffy to grayish with subtle streaking or shading.
Diet
Primarily small arthropods such as beetles, ants, spiders, and caterpillars gleaned from leaves, twigs, and bark. It probes into tangles, vine mats, and dead leaf clusters. Occasionally snatches prey with short sallies and may take tiny berries opportunistically.
Preferred Environment
Forages in dense thorn scrub, riparian thickets, and edges of dry forest. Often works 0.5–3 m above ground within tangled vegetation and along hedgerows.
