Parker's spinetail is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru.
Region
Western Amazon Basin
Typical Environment
Parker's spinetail inhabits river-edge thickets, young secondary growth, and floodplain (várzea) scrub, especially on shifting river islands and along white-water tributaries. It favors dense stands of cane, Tessaria, and young Cecropia where it can move quickly through tangled stems. The species is most common near active river channels with frequent disturbance that maintains early-successional vegetation. It ranges locally in lowland Bolivia, Brazil (western Amazonia), Ecuador, and Peru.
Altitude Range
0–800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Named in honor of the ornithologist Theodore A. Parker III, this spinetail specializes in dynamic river-edge habitats of the western Amazon. It often occupies early-successional thickets on river islands and floodplains that shift with seasonal flooding. Its constantly cocked, rufous tail and furtive behavior in dense vegetation make it easier to hear than to see.
Temperament
skulking and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats between thickets
Social Behavior
Typically found singly, in pairs, or small family groups, often maintaining territories along river margins. It forages low to mid-level in dense scrub, often keeping to cover. Nests are usually bulky enclosed structures of plant fibers and twigs placed in dense vegetation; pairs are believed to be monogamous during the breeding season.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a rapid, slightly accelerating series of high, thin notes that may end in a short trill. Calls are dry, ticking chips and squeaky notes given while foraging. Vocalizations often reveal its presence long before it is seen.
Plumage
Warm brown to rufescent upperparts with a distinctly rufous tail and wings, paler buffy underparts, and a slightly paler face. Shows a narrow, pale supercilium and faint dusky eye-line; back is fairly plain with minimal streaking. Feathers appear soft and compact, aiding movement through dense shrubbery.
Diet
Primarily feeds on small insects and other arthropods gleaned from leaves, stems, and twigs. It probes into curled leaves and seed heads and occasionally hawks short distances to snatch prey. There are occasional reports of taking small berries or seeds, but animal prey dominates.
Preferred Environment
Forages in dense river-edge scrub, cane thickets, young willow-like patches, and early secondary growth on islands and floodplains. Often keeps within a meter or two of the ground up to mid-shrub levels, using its tail for balance as it clambers through tangles.
