The plain-crowned spinetail is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Region
Amazon Basin and the Guianas
Typical Environment
The plain-crowned spinetail inhabits lowland tropical forests and the dense, shrubby edges that border them. It is common in second growth, riverine thickets, and vine tangles, and it also uses white-sand forests and gallery forests. The species keeps close to the ground and midstory, moving through dense cover where it forages methodically. It tolerates moderate habitat disturbance and often occurs near human-altered clearings with regenerating scrub.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
Its name refers to the unmarked, uniform crown that helps separate it from many streak-crowned spinetails. It is a shy, undergrowth specialist that is often detected by voice before being seen. Like many spinetails, it builds a bulky stick nest with a side tunnel, usually placed low in dense thickets. Pairs maintain territories year-round in suitable shrubbery along forest edges and rivers.
Temperament
skulking and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Typically found as territorial pairs moving through dense undergrowth, occasionally joining mixed-species flocks along edges. Nests are bulky stick structures with a side entrance, usually low in shrubs or vine tangles. Breeding is tied to local rainy seasons, and both members of the pair may attend the nest.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A fast, dry series of sharp notes that accelerates slightly and may rise in pitch. Calls include scratchy chips and trills delivered from hidden perches within thickets.
