The rufous-fronted thornbird, or common thornbird, is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae. It is found in Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru.
Region
South America
Typical Environment
Occurs widely from eastern Ecuador and northern Peru across the Andean foothills and lowlands through Bolivia and into Paraguay, northern Argentina, and much of Brazil. It favors thorny scrub, cerrado and caatinga mosaics, chaco-like woodland edges, and gallery forest margins. Often found along roadsides, pastures with scattered shrubs, and second-growth thickets near human settlements. It is generally a lowland to foothill species and is non-migratory throughout its range.
Altitude Range
0–2400 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
Also known as the common thornbird, it is famous for building large, bulky stick nests in shrubs or small trees, often used for years and added to each season. Pairs frequently duet, and family groups may help maintain the nest. It adapts well to scrub, edge, and human-altered landscapes. The nest architecture can provide shelter to other organisms, intentionally or not.
A thornbird's nest in Paraíba, Brazil
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually seen in pairs that maintain territories year-round; occasionally accompanied by recent offspring as helpers. Both sexes build and maintain the large stick nest, which may be used for roosting and successive broods. Nests are placed 1–6 m high in thorny shrubs or small trees and are conspicuous.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A loud, accelerating series of harsh churrs and chatters, often delivered as a duet by a pair. Calls include sharp chacks and rattling notes given from exposed perches near the nest.
Plumage
Warm rufous forehead and forecrown with a paler supercilium, brown to rufescent upperparts, and a long rufous tail. Wings are rufous-brown; underparts buffy to grayish with a paler throat. Feathers appear somewhat loose-textured, giving a slightly scruffy look. Sexes are similar.
Diet
Primarily small arthropods such as beetles, ants, spiders, and caterpillars gleaned from foliage, twigs, and bark. Will probe leaf litter and search among thorny branches and stick tangles. Occasionally takes small fruits or seeds but animal prey dominates.
Preferred Environment
Forages in dense thorn scrub, hedgerows, and brushy edges of woodlands and pastures. Often works methodically through shrubs and along branch tangles, including around its own nest structure.
