Photo: Egon Fink / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
White-throated Spadebill
Platyrinchus mystaceus
White-throated Spadebill (Platyrinchus mystaceus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 12 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The White-throated Spadebill (Platyrinchus mystaceus) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 9.7 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 mystaceus
Where it lives
Costa Rica to Bolivia and northern, eastern, southeastern SA
Quick facts
- Weight
- 9.7 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The White-throated 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-throated Spadebill is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The White-throated Spadebill (Platyrinchus mystaceus) belongs to the Tyrannidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Costa Rica to Bolivia and n, e, se SA.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 9.7 g, with a wing length of about 5.5 cm and a tail of around 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.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 5.1 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the White-throated Spadebill?
The White-throated Spadebill is a very small bird that weighs around 9.7 g.
Where does the White-throated Spadebill live?
The White-throated Spadebill is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Costa Rica to Bolivia and n, e, se SA, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the White-throated Spadebill belong to?
The White-throated Spadebill (Platyrinchus mystaceus) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the White-throated Spadebill eat?
The White-throated Spadebill is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the White-throated Spadebill migrate?
The White-throated Spadebill is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the White-throated 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-throated Spadebill make?
1 real field recording of the White-throated 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-throated Spadebill's range?
The White-throated Spadebill has a mapped global range of about 5.1 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
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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.