Photo: Nick Athanas / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Spectacled Prickletail
Siptornis striaticollis
Spectacled Prickletail (Siptornis striaticollis) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Spectacled Prickletail (Siptornis striaticollis) is a member of the Furnariidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 13 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 Siptornis
- Species striaticollis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 13 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Furnariidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Not Evaluated
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Spectacled Prickletail 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 Spectacled Prickletail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Spectacled Prickletail (Siptornis striaticollis) belongs to the Furnariidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA Colombia to n Peru.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 13 g, with a wing length of about 6.2 cm and a tail of around 5.1 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 21,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Spectacled Prickletail?
The Spectacled Prickletail is a very small bird that weighs around 13 g.
Where does the Spectacled Prickletail live?
The Spectacled Prickletail is found across South America with a range covering SA Colombia to n Peru, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Spectacled Prickletail belong to?
The Spectacled Prickletail (Siptornis striaticollis) belongs to the Furnariidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Spectacled Prickletail eat?
The Spectacled Prickletail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Spectacled Prickletail migrate?
The Spectacled Prickletail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Spectacled Prickletail 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 Spectacled Prickletail make?
1 real field recording of the Spectacled Prickletail — 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 Spectacled Prickletail's range?
The Spectacled Prickletail has a mapped global range of about 21,000 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.