The silvery-throated spinetail is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is endemic to Colombia.
Region
Eastern Andes of Colombia
Typical Environment
Occurs in the Eastern Cordillera, mainly in high Andean shrublands, forest edges, and secondary growth with dense understory. It frequently uses Chusquea bamboo thickets and tangled hedgerows along pastures and roadsides. The species is patchily distributed and tied to brushy habitats near montane forest. It is largely absent from continuous tall forest interiors but thrives along ecotones and regenerating areas.
Altitude Range
1800–3200 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A skulking ovenbird of the undergrowth, the silvery-throated spinetail is most often detected by its sharp, accelerating song rather than seen. It has a very restricted range in Colombia’s Eastern Andes, where it favors dense shrubbery and bamboo at high elevations. It builds a bulky, domed twig nest with a side entrance, typical of spinetails. Ongoing habitat fragmentation in its small range makes local populations sensitive to disturbance.
Temperament
skulking and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats through dense cover
Social Behavior
Usually found singly or in pairs that defend territories year-round. Pairs may duet and keep close contact while foraging in low, dense vegetation. The nest is a bulky domed mass of sticks with a side entrance placed low in shrubs or bamboo.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a sharp, accelerating series of high-pitched notes that can end in a trill. Calls include dry chips and scolds given from within thick cover. Vocalizations carry well, often revealing birds that are otherwise hidden.
Plumage
Warm brown upperparts with rufous wings and a long, graduated rufous tail; face grayish with a distinct pale, silvery throat. Underparts gray to buffy with the gleaming throat contrasting strongly. Feathers appear somewhat loose and spiky around the tail typical of spinetails.
Diet
Feeds mainly on small arthropods such as beetles, caterpillars, spiders, and other insects gleaned from leaves and stems. It probes tangles and bamboo culms, picking prey from crevices and suspended leaf litter. Occasional tiny seeds or berries may be taken, but animal prey dominates.
Preferred Environment
Forages in dense shrubs, hedgerows, and bamboo thickets at forest edges and in secondary growth. Typically works the lower to mid understory, seldom venturing into open areas.
