The olive-backed foliage-gleaner is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in every mainland South American country except Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Region
Amazon Basin and northern South America
Typical Environment
Occurs widely through lowland tropical forests of Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, and the Guianas. Prefers humid evergreen forest, including terra firme and seasonally flooded várzea, and uses dense understory, vine tangles, and bamboo thickets. It is typically found in interior forest but also along streams and shaded edges. The species is largely absent from open habitats and heavily degraded areas, though it may persist in well-structured secondary forest.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A member of the ovenbird family (Furnariidae), the olive-backed foliage-gleaner specializes in prying insects from dead leaves and tangled vines in dense tropical forest. It often joins mixed-species flocks and is more often heard than seen due to its secretive habits. Like many furnariids, it excavates a burrow nest in an earthen bank that leads to a chamber lined with plant fibers.
Temperament
skulking and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats through understory
Social Behavior
Usually forages singly or in pairs and frequently joins mixed-species understory flocks. Territorial calling is common, but individuals maintain loose contact in dense cover. Nesting typically involves tunneling into an earthen bank to create a chamber lined with leaves and fibers.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a series of dry, sharp notes that accelerate slightly into a short rattle or trill. Calls include harsh chips and scolds, often given from concealed perches in thick vegetation.
Plumage
Olive-brown upperparts with warmer rufescent wings and tail; underparts buffy to olive with a paler throat. Feathers are soft and slightly loose-textured, aiding in quiet movement through dense vegetation.
Diet
Feeds primarily on arthropods such as beetles, spiders, and caterpillars. Gleans prey from dead leaves, curled palm fronds, and vine tangles, often manipulating leaf clusters with the bill. Occasionally snatches prey from the ground or from suspended leaf litter and may opportunistically attend army-ant activity.
Preferred Environment
Forages in the lower to mid understory of humid forest, especially in areas with abundant dead-leaf clusters and viney tangles. Often works along shaded streambanks and dense thickets where leaf litter accumulates off the ground.
