The hoary-throated spinetail is a Critically Endangered bird species in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Brazil and Guyana.
Region
Guianan Shield (Rio Branco and Takutu River basins of Brazil and Guyana)
Typical Environment
Occurs in dense riparian scrub, young second-growth, and river-island vegetation along white-water rivers. It favors seasonally flooded thickets with cane, vines, and pioneer trees such as Cecropia. The species tracks early-successional habitats created by river dynamics, often near sandy or silty banks. It remains close to watercourses and is seldom found far from the river edge.
Altitude Range
0–200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A river-edge specialist, the hoary-throated spinetail is confined to thickets along the Rio Branco and nearby drainages in northern Amazonia. Its tiny range and dependence on dynamic river-island scrub make it highly vulnerable to habitat changes from dams, fires, and deforestation. It constructs bulky stick nests with side entrances, typical of many spinetails.
Illustration by Joseph Smit, 1874
Temperament
shy and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats through dense cover
Social Behavior
Typically found in pairs or small family groups maintaining linear territories along river edges. Pairs are likely monogamous and communicate frequently with duets. They build bulky twig nests low to mid-level in dense vegetation.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A rapid series of sharp chips and trills, often delivered as antiphonal duets by a pair. Calls are dry, rattling notes that carry through dense riverside scrub.
Plumage
Rufescent-brown upperparts with a contrasting hoary whitish throat and upper chest; long, graduated, spiny-tipped rufous tail. Underparts are warm buff to grayish-buff with subtle dusky shading on the face.
Diet
Primarily small arthropods, including insects and spiders, gleaned from leaves, stems, and vine tangles. It probes dead leaf clusters and twigs and occasionally makes short sallies to snatch prey. Foraging is methodical and close to cover.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in dense riparian thickets, river-island scrub, and young secondary growth within a few meters of the ground to mid-story. Often stays within a few meters of flowing water along sandy or silty banks.
