Photo: in Alcide Dessalines d'Orbigny / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Light-crowned Spinetail
Cranioleuca albiceps
Light-crowned Spinetail (Cranioleuca albiceps) — 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 Light-crowned Spinetail (Cranioleuca albiceps) is a member of the Furnariidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 17.6 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 Cranioleuca
- Species albiceps
Quick facts
- Weight
- 17.6 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Furnariidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Critically Endangered
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Light-crowned Spinetail 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 Light-crowned Spinetail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Light-crowned Spinetail (Cranioleuca albiceps) is a species of bird in the Furnariidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA s Peru to c Bolivia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 17.6 g, with a wing length of about 6.4 cm and a tail of around 6.9 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 42,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Light-crowned Spinetail?
The Light-crowned Spinetail is a small bird that weighs around 17.6 g.
Where does the Light-crowned Spinetail live?
The Light-crowned Spinetail is found across South America with a range covering SA s Peru to c Bolivia, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Light-crowned Spinetail belong to?
The Light-crowned Spinetail (Cranioleuca albiceps) belongs to the Furnariidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Light-crowned Spinetail eat?
The Light-crowned Spinetail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Light-crowned Spinetail migrate?
The Light-crowned Spinetail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Light-crowned Spinetail 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 Light-crowned Spinetail make?
1 real field recording of the Light-crowned Spinetail — 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 Light-crowned Spinetail's range?
The Light-crowned Spinetail has a mapped global range of about 42,000 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.