Photo: Nick Athanas / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Eye-ringed Thistletail
Asthenes palpebralis
Eye-ringed Thistletail (Asthenes palpebralis) — 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 Eye-ringed Thistletail (Asthenes palpebralis) is a member of the Furnariidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 17 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 Asthenes
- Species palpebralis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 17 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Furnariidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Endangered
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Eye-ringed Thistletail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Eye-ringed Thistletail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Eye-ringed Thistletail (Asthenes palpebralis) belongs to the Furnariidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA c Peru.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 17 g, with a wing length of about 5.8 cm and a tail of around 11.4 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 11,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Eye-ringed Thistletail?
The Eye-ringed Thistletail is a small bird that weighs around 17 g.
Where does the Eye-ringed Thistletail live?
The Eye-ringed Thistletail is found across South America with a range covering SA c Peru, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Eye-ringed Thistletail belong to?
The Eye-ringed Thistletail (Asthenes palpebralis) belongs to the Furnariidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Eye-ringed Thistletail eat?
The Eye-ringed Thistletail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Eye-ringed Thistletail migrate?
The Eye-ringed Thistletail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Eye-ringed Thistletail 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 Eye-ringed Thistletail make?
1 real field recording of the Eye-ringed Thistletail — 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 Eye-ringed Thistletail's range?
The Eye-ringed Thistletail has a mapped global range of about 11,000 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.