Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
White-crested Spadebill
Platyrinchus platyrhynchos
White-crested Spadebill (Platyrinchus platyrhynchos) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The White-crested Spadebill (Platyrinchus platyrhynchos) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 12 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 Tyrannidae Tyrant Flycatchers, Calyptura
- Genus Platyrinchus
- Species platyrhynchos
Quick facts
- Weight
- 12 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The White-crested Spadebill 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 White-crested Spadebill is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The White-crested Spadebill (Platyrinchus platyrhynchos) belongs to the Tyrannidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA Amazonia.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 12 g, with a wing length of about 6.2 cm and a tail of around 3.2 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 5.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the White-crested Spadebill?
The White-crested Spadebill is a very small bird that weighs around 12 g.
Where does the White-crested Spadebill live?
The White-crested Spadebill is found across South America with a range covering SA Amazonia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the White-crested Spadebill belong to?
The White-crested Spadebill (Platyrinchus platyrhynchos) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the White-crested Spadebill eat?
The White-crested Spadebill is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the White-crested Spadebill migrate?
The White-crested Spadebill is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the White-crested Spadebill 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 White-crested Spadebill make?
1 real field recording of the White-crested Spadebill — 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 White-crested Spadebill's range?
The White-crested Spadebill has a mapped global range of about 5.5 million 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 Tyrannidae
A field guide to the Tyrannidae family — 444 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.