Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Wren-like Rushbird
Phleocryptes melanops
Wren-like Rushbird (Phleocryptes melanops) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Wren-like Rushbird (Phleocryptes melanops) is a member of the Furnariidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 14.6 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Furnariidae Ovenbirds
- Genus Phleocryptes
- Species melanops
Quick facts
- Weight
- 14.6 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Furnariidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Wren-like Rushbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Wren-like Rushbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Wren-like Rushbird (Phleocryptes melanops) is a member of the Furnariidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA w and Southern Cone.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 14.6 g, with a wing length of about 5.7 cm and a tail of around 5.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 3.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Wren-like Rushbird?
The Wren-like Rushbird is a very small bird that weighs around 14.6 g.
Where does the Wren-like Rushbird live?
The Wren-like Rushbird is found across South America with a range covering SA w and Southern Cone, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Wren-like Rushbird belong to?
The Wren-like Rushbird (Phleocryptes melanops) belongs to the Furnariidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Wren-like Rushbird eat?
The Wren-like Rushbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Wren-like Rushbird migrate?
The Wren-like Rushbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Wren-like Rushbird endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Wren-like Rushbird make?
1 real field recording of the Wren-like Rushbird — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Wren-like Rushbird's range?
The Wren-like Rushbird has a mapped global range of about 3.5 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Meet the Furnariidae
A field guide to the Furnariidae family — 321 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.