The Itatiaia spinetail, also known as the Itatiaia thistletail, is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is endemic to southeastern Brazil.
Region
Southeastern Brazil
Typical Environment
Occurs on high ridges and mountaintops of the Serra da Mantiqueira, especially around Itatiaia National Park on the Rio de Janeiro–Minas Gerais border. Inhabits windswept campos de altitude, elfin forest edges, and dense thickets of shrubs and Chusquea bamboo. Prefers areas with rocky outcrops, tussock grasses, and patchy low vegetation. Often stays close to the ground or within 2–3 meters in dense cover, moving methodically through foliage. It may use riparian thickets and the margins of cloud forest where shrubs are dense.
Altitude Range
1800–2700 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the Itatiaia thistletail, this furnariid is restricted to high-elevation habitats around the Itatiaia massif in southeastern Brazil. Its long, stiff, spiny-tipped tail helps it maneuver through dense shrubs and bamboo. It is often detected by its sharp, high-pitched trills before being seen. Fire and habitat disturbance at mountaintop grasslands are key threats to its small range.
Temperament
skulking and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low undulating dashes between cover
Social Behavior
Usually found singly or in pairs, maintaining year-round territories. Nests are bulky, domed structures of grasses and stems placed in dense shrubs or bamboo. Clutches are small, and both sexes participate in nest building and care.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a fast series of high, thin trills and rattling notes that accelerate slightly, delivered from low perches within dense vegetation. Calls include sharp tiks and dry chatters, often given in response to disturbance.
Plumage
Warm brown to olive-brown upperparts with subtle streaking and a paler, buff-washed underbody; wings and tail show richer rufous tones. Tail is long, graduated, and notably spiny-tipped, often held cocked. A faint pale supercilium contrasts with a darker ear patch.
Diet
Feeds primarily on small arthropods such as beetles, caterpillars, ants, spiders, and other larvae. Gleans methodically from leaves, stems, and moss, and probes into tussocks and bamboo sheaths. Occasionally hawks short distances to snatch flushed insects.
Preferred Environment
Forages in dense montane shrubbery, bamboo thickets, and the edges of elfin forest and campos de altitude. Stays close to the ground or within the lower shrub layer where cover is continuous.
