Plain-mantled Tit-spinetail
Encyclopedia
The Plain-mantled Tit-spinetail (Leptasthenura aegithaloides) is a small passerine
bird
of South America
belonging to the ovenbird family, Furnariidae. It is a common bird across much of Chile
, southern and eastern Argentina
, southern Peru
and western Bolivia
. It occurs from 0 to 4,300 metres above sea level in a variety of habitats including arid country, open woodland, forest edge, scrub, grassland, parks and gardens. It forages among leaves and branches, searching for insect
s.
It is 15 to 18 cm in length with the long, pointed tail feathers accounting for much of this. The bill
is short and pointed and the wings are short and rounded. The plumage
varies among the four subspecies
. The nominate subspecies L. a. aegithaloides of central Chile is mainly brown with paler underparts, rufous markings on the wings and crown and a white stripe above the eye. The head and upper breast are streaked while the back is plain. L. a. berlepschi occurs high in the Andes
in the northern part of the species' range and is larger and more buff-coloured than the other forms. L. a. grisescens is found in the arid lowlands of north Chile and south Peru. It is rather greyish in colour with little streaking on the breast. In most of Argentina and south Chile, L. a. pallida occurs. It is pale and greyish with only a small area of rufous in the wing.
The song
and calls are loud, buzzy and chattering and vary between the different subspecies.
The nest
is built in a hole in a cliff, bank, tree or cactus
or in old dome-shaped nests of other birds such as canastero
s. The nest is lined with grass and feathers and two to four small, white eggs are laid. The young birds are able to fly within three weeks.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
belonging to the ovenbird family, Furnariidae. It is a common bird across much of Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, southern and eastern Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, southern Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and western Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
. It occurs from 0 to 4,300 metres above sea level in a variety of habitats including arid country, open woodland, forest edge, scrub, grassland, parks and gardens. It forages among leaves and branches, searching for insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s.
It is 15 to 18 cm in length with the long, pointed tail feathers accounting for much of this. The bill
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
is short and pointed and the wings are short and rounded. The plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
varies among the four subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
. The nominate subspecies L. a. aegithaloides of central Chile is mainly brown with paler underparts, rufous markings on the wings and crown and a white stripe above the eye. The head and upper breast are streaked while the back is plain. L. a. berlepschi occurs high in the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
in the northern part of the species' range and is larger and more buff-coloured than the other forms. L. a. grisescens is found in the arid lowlands of north Chile and south Peru. It is rather greyish in colour with little streaking on the breast. In most of Argentina and south Chile, L. a. pallida occurs. It is pale and greyish with only a small area of rufous in the wing.
The song
Bird song
Bird vocalization includes both bird calls and bird songs. In non-technical use, bird songs are the bird sounds that are melodious to the human ear. In ornithology and birding, songs are distinguished by function from calls.-Definition:The distinction between songs and calls is based upon...
and calls are loud, buzzy and chattering and vary between the different subspecies.
The nest
Nest
A nest is a place of refuge to hold an animal's eggs or provide a place to live or raise offspring. They are usually made of some organic material such as twigs, grass, and leaves; or may simply be a depression in the ground, or a hole in a tree, rock or building...
is built in a hole in a cliff, bank, tree or cactus
Cactus
A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Their distinctive appearance is a result of adaptations to conserve water in dry and/or hot environments. In most species, the stem has evolved to become photosynthetic and succulent, while the leaves have evolved into spines...
or in old dome-shaped nests of other birds such as canastero
Canastero
Canasteros are small passerine birds of South America. The name "canastero" comes from Spanish and means "basket-maker", referring to their large, domed nests made of sticks or grass. They feed on insects and other invertebrates.-Taxonomy:...
s. The nest is lined with grass and feathers and two to four small, white eggs are laid. The young birds are able to fly within three weeks.