Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Olive Spinetail
Cranioleuca obsoleta
Olive Spinetail (Cranioleuca obsoleta) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Olive Spinetail (Cranioleuca obsoleta) is a member of the Furnariidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 13.4 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 obsoleta
Quick facts
- Weight
- 13.4 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Furnariidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Olive 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 Olive Spinetail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Olive Spinetail (Cranioleuca obsoleta) is a member of the Furnariidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA s Brazil, e Paraguay and ne Argentina.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 13.4 g, with a wing length of about 5.6 cm and a tail of around 6.3 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 654,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Olive Spinetail?
The Olive Spinetail is a very small bird that weighs around 13.4 g.
Where does the Olive Spinetail live?
The Olive Spinetail is found across South America with a range covering SA s Brazil, e Paraguay and ne Argentina, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Olive Spinetail belong to?
The Olive Spinetail (Cranioleuca obsoleta) belongs to the Furnariidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Olive Spinetail eat?
The Olive Spinetail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Olive Spinetail migrate?
The Olive Spinetail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Olive 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 Olive Spinetail make?
1 real field recording of the Olive 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 Olive Spinetail's range?
The Olive Spinetail has a mapped global range of about 654,000 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.