The crested spinetail is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela.
Region
Northern South America
Typical Environment
Occurs in northern Colombia and western to northern Venezuela, including the Magdalena and Cauca valleys, the Sierra de Perijá foothills, the Maracaibo Basin, and adjacent lowlands. It favors dry to semi-humid woodland, thorn scrub, gallery forest, and overgrown second growth, and is common along hedgerows and forest edges. Frequently found near streams and in brushy ravines where dense cover is available. Tolerates lightly disturbed habitats and agricultural mosaics with remnant shrubs.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A small, active ovenbird that often flicks its rufous tail and raises a neat little crest when alert. It forages low in dense scrub, frequently in pairs or small family groups, and sometimes joins mixed-species flocks. Its tolerance of edges and second growth helps it persist in moderately disturbed landscapes.
Cranioleuca subcristata
Temperament
active and somewhat skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, dashes between shrubs
Social Behavior
Typically seen singly, in pairs, or in family groups, weaving through dense shrubbery and vine tangles. Often participates in mixed-species flocks in edge and second-growth habitats. Nests are enclosed structures typical of furnariids, placed low to mid-level in dense vegetation.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a rapid, rattling series of high, thin notes that accelerates and may slightly rise, delivered from inside cover. Calls include sharp chips and dry scolds used to maintain contact in dense vegetation.
Plumage
Warm brown upperparts with a small, erectile crest; wings and long graduated tail are rich rufous. Underparts are buffy to grayish with a paler throat and subtle streaking or wash on the breast. A faint pale supercilium contrasts with a duskier ear patch; overall texture is smooth with slightly fluffy crown feathers forming the crest.
Diet
Primarily gleans small arthropods such as insects and spiders from foliage, twigs, and vine tangles. Probes and picks methodically along stems and leaf clusters, often hanging briefly to reach the undersides of leaves. Occasionally takes tiny fruits or seeds, especially in dry seasons when insect prey is scarcer.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in dense scrub, thorny thickets, and brushy forest edges from the ground level to the midstory. Frequently works along riparian corridors, hedgerows, and second-growth patches adjacent to agriculture.
