The plain softtail 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
Occurs in seasonally flooded várzea and along river edges, oxbow lakes, and young second-growth where Cecropia and bamboo (Guadua) dominate. It favors dense vine tangles, cane and bamboo thickets, and shrubby river islands. The species is recorded in Bolivia, Brazil (western Amazon), Ecuador, and Peru. It is typically local along dynamic riverine habitats and disturbed edges near water.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A lowland Amazonian furnariid, the plain softtail keeps to dense riverside thickets where it creeps through tangles with tail slightly cocked. It often accompanies mixed-species flocks along river edges and bamboo stands. Its plumage is intentionally nondescript, making behavior and habitat key to identification.
Temperament
skulking yet active in dense cover
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats through low tangles
Social Behavior
Usually found in pairs or small family groups, frequently joining mixed-species flocks that work river-edge thickets. Forages methodically through bamboo and vine tangles, often close to the ground. Territorial along linear riparian habitats.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives thin, high-pitched tseet calls and a short, accelerating series of sharp notes. Song is modest in volume and easily lost in river noise, with rapid, slightly descending trills.
