The Vilcabamba thistletail is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is endemic to the Vilcabamba Mountains of Peru.
Region
Andes Mountains
Typical Environment
Found only in the Vilcabamba range of south-central Peru, it inhabits humid montane forest edges, elfin forest, and dense Chusquea bamboo thickets. It favors shrubby slopes, landslide regrowth, and riparian thickets where cover is thick. Polylepis and other high-Andean woodland patches are occasionally used, especially where bamboo occurs in the understory. The species is patchily distributed, tracking dense understory growth. It persists in remote, rugged terrain with limited human disturbance.
Altitude Range
2900–4000 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This small furnariid hugs dense Andean bamboo and shrub tangles, where its long, spiny-tipped rufous tail helps it balance as it forages. It is known only from Peru’s Vilcabamba Mountains, giving it one of the most restricted ranges of any thistletail. Its song is a rapid, accelerating series of thin notes that can reveal it long before it’s seen. Though shy, it often joins mixed-species flocks along forest edges.
Temperament
skulking and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, darting flights
Social Behavior
Usually found singly or in pairs, keeping close to dense cover. Pairs maintain small territories and may join mixed-species foraging flocks along forest edges. Nests are placed in dense vegetation or grass tussocks, with both adults involved in care. Breeding behavior is poorly known due to its remote habitat.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A rapid, high-pitched series of thin notes that accelerates and slightly rises, often delivered from within bamboo. Calls include sharp chips and quick trills used for contact in dense cover.
Plumage
Brownish-olive upperparts with a contrasting long, graduated rufous tail whose feathers have spiny tips; underparts grayish with fine buffy streaking on the throat and breast. A pale buff to whitish supercilium and slightly grayer face stand out. Wings show warm rufous edging. Overall appearance is slim and somewhat elongated due to the tail.
Diet
Primarily small arthropods such as beetles, caterpillars, spiders, and other insects gleaned from leaves, stems, and mossy substrates. It probes and picks through bamboo culms, vine tangles, and shrub layers. Occasionally hawks short distances to snatch flushed prey. Foraging is methodical, with frequent tail-flicks for balance.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in dense Chusquea bamboo, elfin forest edges, and shrubby second growth. Often works from near ground level up to mid-understory, favoring structurally complex vegetation where prey is abundant.
