Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Star-chested Treerunner
Margarornis stellatus
Star-chested Treerunner (Margarornis stellatus) — 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 Star-chested Treerunner (Margarornis stellatus) is a member of the Furnariidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 21.5 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 Margarornis
- Species stellatus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 21.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Furnariidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Star-chested Treerunner 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 Star-chested Treerunner is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Star-chested Treerunner (Margarornis stellatus) is a member of the Furnariidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA Colombia and Ecuador.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 21.5 g, with a wing length of about 7.8 cm and a tail of around 7.1 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 22,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Star-chested Treerunner?
The Star-chested Treerunner is a small bird that weighs around 21.5 g.
Where does the Star-chested Treerunner live?
The Star-chested Treerunner is found across South America with a range covering SA Colombia and Ecuador, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Star-chested Treerunner belong to?
The Star-chested Treerunner (Margarornis stellatus) belongs to the Furnariidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Star-chested Treerunner eat?
The Star-chested Treerunner is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Star-chested Treerunner migrate?
The Star-chested Treerunner is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Star-chested Treerunner 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 Star-chested Treerunner make?
1 real field recording of the Star-chested Treerunner — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Star-chested Treerunner's range?
The Star-chested Treerunner has a mapped global range of about 22,000 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.