Itatiaia spinetail facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Itatiaia spinetail |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Furnariidae |
| Genus: | Asthenes |
| Species: |
A. moreirae
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| Binomial name | |
| Asthenes moreirae (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1905)
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| Synonyms | |
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The Itatiaia spinetail (Asthenes moreirae) is a small bird that lives only in the mountains of southeastern Brazil. It's also sometimes called the Itatiaia thistletail. This bird is part of the ovenbird family called Furnariidae.
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About This Bird's Family
For a long time, scientists thought the Itatiaia spinetail belonged to its own special group of birds. This group was called Oreophylax. Some also placed it in Schizoeaca. However, new information from 2011 showed that it actually belongs to a larger group. This group is called Asthenes. The Itatiaia spinetail does not have any different types or subspecies.
What the Itatiaia Spinetail Looks Like
The Itatiaia spinetail is about 18 to 19 cm (7.1 to 7.5 in) long. That's about the length of a pen. It weighs around 10 to 11 g (0.35 to 0.39 oz). This makes it one of the smaller birds in its group. Both male and female birds look the same.
Adult birds have a dull brown face. Sometimes, they have a faint lighter ring around their eyes. Their head, back, wings, and tail are all a dark brown color. The feathers on their tail are special. They don't have many of the tiny parts called barbs at the end. This makes their tail look spiky.
Their chin and throat are a pale, dirty yellow color. They have a patch of brownish-orange in the middle of their throat. Their belly is a pale, yellowish-brown. It is lightest in the middle and browner on the sides. Their eyes are brown. Their upper beak is blackish, and their lower beak is brownish. Their legs and feet are dark grayish. Young birds have a smaller throat patch. Their chest also has some brown stripes.
Where the Itatiaia Spinetail Lives
The Itatiaia spinetail lives in the mountains of southeastern Brazil. You can find it in the states of Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Espírito Santo. It is named after the Serra do Itatiaia mountain range. It also lives in other mountain areas like Serra do Caraça.
This bird likes to live in mountain areas that are a bit wet. It prefers scrublands, which are areas with small trees and bushes. It also likes thickets of Chusquea bamboo. You can also find it in tall grass near these bushes. It usually lives above the tree line. This means it lives where trees stop growing because it's too high. It lives at heights from 1,850 to 2,800 m (6,100 to 9,200 ft).
Behavior of the Itatiaia Spinetail
Movement
The Itatiaia spinetail stays in the same area all year round. It does not migrate to other places.
Feeding Habits
The Itatiaia spinetail mostly eats small arthropods. These are creatures like insects and spiders. It also eats small fruits sometimes. These birds usually look for food in pairs. Sometimes, they forage in groups of three. They stay close to the ground when they are looking for food. They pick up prey from leaves and branches. They can be very quick and flexible while they search.
Reproduction
The Itatiaia spinetail builds an oval-shaped nest. It makes the nest mostly out of moss. It adds some twigs around the outside. The entrance to the nest is near the top. Not much else is known about how these birds raise their young.
Vocalization
The song of the Itatiaia spinetail is a fast series of very high notes. It sounds like "you-tee-wiwiwiwi". Its call is a low sound like "piuw".
Status of the Itatiaia Spinetail
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has looked at the Itatiaia spinetail. They have listed it as a species of Least Concern. This means it is not currently in great danger of disappearing. However, it lives in a small area. The total number of these birds is not known. Scientists believe their numbers are going down.
Changes to its habitat are a concern. Climate change is expected to harm this bird's home. Burning of vegetation in the high mountain areas is also a major threat. Even so, the bird is considered uncommon to fairly common in some places. It lives in two national parks, which helps protect it.
 | May Edward Chinn |
 | Rebecca Cole |
 | Alexa Canady |
 | Dorothy Lavinia Brown |
