The russet-winged spadebill is a Vulnerable species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.
Region
Atlantic Forest of southeastern South America
Typical Environment
Occurs patchily in the Atlantic Forest of southern and southeastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, and northeastern Argentina (Misiones). It favors mature and well-structured secondary forest with a dense understory, especially in areas with bamboo thickets. Typically keeps to shaded forest interiors and along quiet stream gullies. Local presence can be highly fragmented due to historical deforestation and ongoing habitat degradation.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A shy understory tyrant flycatcher of the Atlantic Forest, the russet-winged spadebill is named for its distinctive rufous wing coverts and broad, spade-like bill adapted for snatching small insects. It often frequents dense tangles and bamboo, making it difficult to observe. Habitat loss and fragmentation of the Atlantic Forest have contributed to its Vulnerable status. It may reveal itself by a soft, high-pitched whistle rather than by movement.
Temperament
shy and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats; brief sallies
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs within dense understory; maintains small territories during the breeding season. Nests are small cups placed low in vegetation or bamboo tangles. Occasionally associates loosely with mixed-species understory flocks while foraging.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A soft, high-pitched whistle delivered singly or in short series, often from concealed perches. Calls are thin and ventriloquial, making localization difficult.
Plumage
Olive-brown to grayish-olive upperparts with warm russet wing coverts and edges, and paler buffy underparts. The head is dusky-olive with a short, bushy crest that can reveal a concealed whitish crown patch. The bill is very broad and flat with a slightly spatulate tip, typical of spadebills.
Diet
Feeds primarily on small arthropods such as flies, beetles, spiders, and caterpillars. Captures prey with short sallies from low perches and by gleaning from leaves and twigs. The broad bill aids in snapping up agile insects in cluttered understory spaces.
Preferred Environment
Forages in shaded lower to mid-understory, especially within vine tangles and bamboo stands. Often hunts along quiet forest streams and edges of dense thickets.
