Photo: Arthur Chapman / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Thorn-tailed Rayadito
Aphrastura spinicauda
Thorn-tailed Rayadito (Aphrastura spinicauda) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Thorn-tailed Rayadito (Aphrastura spinicauda) is a member of the Furnariidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 11.5 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 Aphrastura
- Species spinicauda
Quick facts
- Weight
- 11.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Furnariidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Thorn-tailed Rayadito is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Thorn-tailed Rayadito is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Thorn-tailed Rayadito (Aphrastura spinicauda) is a member of the Furnariidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA c, s Chile and sw Argentina.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 11.5 g, with a wing length of about 5.9 cm and a tail of around 7.7 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 491,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Thorn-tailed Rayadito?
The Thorn-tailed Rayadito is a very small bird that weighs around 11.5 g.
Where does the Thorn-tailed Rayadito live?
The Thorn-tailed Rayadito is found across South America with a range covering SA c, s Chile and sw Argentina, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Thorn-tailed Rayadito belong to?
The Thorn-tailed Rayadito (Aphrastura spinicauda) belongs to the Furnariidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Thorn-tailed Rayadito eat?
The Thorn-tailed Rayadito is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Thorn-tailed Rayadito migrate?
The Thorn-tailed Rayadito is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Thorn-tailed Rayadito 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 Thorn-tailed Rayadito make?
1 real field recording of the Thorn-tailed Rayadito — 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 Thorn-tailed Rayadito's range?
The Thorn-tailed Rayadito has a mapped global range of about 491,000 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
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.