Brown-capped Tit-Spinetail Leptasthenura fuliginiceps Scientific name definitions

Found in the Andes from western Bolivia south to central Argentina, the Brown-capped Tit-Spinetail possesses just about the most uniform plumage of any species in its genus. It is plain brownish virtually throughout, with the main contrast being the slightly more rufescent wings and tail, and the pale buffy supercilium. The Brown-capped Tit-Spinetail is usually encountered in arid montane scrub and Polylepis woodland at altitudes between 1500 and 4200 m, but at least in the south of the species’ range some move downslope following the breeding season, during the austral winter. It regularly joins mixed-species flocks, and usually occurs in pairs or small family parties.

15–16 cm; 9–13 g. Small, slender, short-billed  , long-tailed, acrobatic furnariid. Has pale, dull buff supercilia meeting across forehead, rather plain brownish face; crown brown, upper back paler and duller brown, becoming rufescent on lower back and uppertail-coverts; wings mostly rufous; tail long, strongly graduated, central rectrices with slightly thickened shafts and barbs progressively narrowing towards tip, giving forked, “spiny” appearance (less deeply “forked” than in most congeners), rufous; underparts dull pale tawny brownish, palest in centre of throat, with flanks and undertail-coverts tinged rufescent; iris brown to dark brown; upper mandible black to dusky brownish-horn, lower mandible uniform horn to pearl-grey with dusky tip; tarsus and toes olive greenish, greyish-olive or grey. Sexes alike. Juvenile has slightly mottled breast, less distinctly defined crown, and rounded tips to rectrices. Race <em>paranensis</em> is apparently paler and greyer below  and has duller, less brownish back than nominate.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Arthropods; recorded diet items include Coleoptera eggs. Usually in pairs or small flocks; regularly in mixed-species flocks. Forages from understorey up to canopy. Gleans items from foliage and branches, occasionally vertical trunks ; often hangs upside-down acrobatically. Seen to forage in direct association with Sylviorthorhynchus yanacensis in Argentina.

Song apparently not described; call  a faint insect-like “pree” given every 1–2 seconds.