Photo: Nick Athanas / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
White-browed Spinetail
Hellmayrea gularis
White-browed Spinetail (Hellmayrea gularis) — 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 White-browed Spinetail (Hellmayrea gularis) is a member of the Furnariidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 12.4 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 Hellmayrea
- Species gularis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 12.4 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 White-browed 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 White-browed Spinetail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The White-browed Spinetail (Hellmayrea gularis) is a species of bird in the Furnariidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA nw Venezuela to c Peru.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 12.4 g, with a wing length of about 5.8 cm and a tail of around 5.4 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 170,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the White-browed Spinetail?
The White-browed Spinetail is a very small bird that weighs around 12.4 g.
Where does the White-browed Spinetail live?
The White-browed Spinetail is found across South America with a range covering SA nw Venezuela to c Peru, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the White-browed Spinetail belong to?
The White-browed Spinetail (Hellmayrea gularis) belongs to the Furnariidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the White-browed Spinetail eat?
The White-browed Spinetail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the White-browed Spinetail migrate?
The White-browed Spinetail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the White-browed 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 White-browed Spinetail make?
1 real field recording of the White-browed Spinetail — 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 White-browed Spinetail's range?
The White-browed Spinetail has a mapped global range of about 170,000 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.