Photo: Nomdeploom / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Spotted Barbtail
Premnoplex brunnescens
Spotted Barbtail (Premnoplex brunnescens) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Spotted Barbtail (Premnoplex brunnescens) is a member of the Furnariidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 16.3 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 Premnoplex
- Species brunnescens
Where it lives
Costa Rica to northwestern Venezuela and central Bolivia
Quick facts
- Weight
- 16.3 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Furnariidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Spotted Barbtail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Spotted Barbtail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Spotted Barbtail (Premnoplex brunnescens) is a member of the Furnariidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Costa Rica to nw Venezuela and c Bolivia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 16.3 g, with a wing length of about 6 cm and a tail of around 6.1 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 406,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Spotted Barbtail?
The Spotted Barbtail is a small bird that weighs around 16.3 g.
Where does the Spotted Barbtail live?
The Spotted Barbtail is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Costa Rica to nw Venezuela and c Bolivia, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Spotted Barbtail belong to?
The Spotted Barbtail (Premnoplex brunnescens) belongs to the Furnariidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Spotted Barbtail eat?
The Spotted Barbtail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Spotted Barbtail migrate?
The Spotted Barbtail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Spotted Barbtail 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 Spotted Barbtail make?
1 real field recording of the Spotted Barbtail — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Spotted Barbtail's range?
The Spotted Barbtail has a mapped global range of about 406,000 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
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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.