Ochre-browed Thistletail Asthenes coryi Scientific name definitions

Ochre-browed Thistletail is a skulking furnariid endemic to Venezuela. The species prefers the dense undergrowth of forest in the Andes of western Venezuela between 3000 and 4100 meters in elevation. It is olive brown above with an olive brown crown and upperparts and gray brown underparts with an ochre chin, supercilium, and face, and a very long, spike-tipped tail. Tough to see in its dense habitat, Ochre-browed Thistletail is easiest to find by listening for its song, a high, tight descending trill rather similar to that of White-chinned Thistletail (Asthenes fuliginosa).

16–18 cm; 15–18 g. Typical thistletail, with long ragged tail, rather slender bill  . Has ochraceous supercilia , darker face ; forehead dull ochraceous rufous, blending to olive-brown on crown, upperparts  and tail; wings slightly darker, mostly dull reddish-brown; tail long, strongly graduated and deeply forked, with barbs reduced in density and length distally, giving ragged, pointed look; chin spot tawny-rufous, underparts pale grey-brown, almost whitish in centre of belly; iris dark brown to grey-brown; bill  dark greyish-brown, pinkish base of lower mandible; tarsus and toes bluish-grey. Sexes alike. Juvenile undescribed.

Andes of W Venezuela (Trujillo S to N Táchira).

Song a dry, rattling trill c. 1·5 seconds long, decelerates at end, “pipipi-pi-pi-pi-pi-pi-pi-pi-pi, pi, pi, pi, pt, pt”. Call  a high-pitched, nasal “meeeow”, also squeaky, rodent-like “peeeap”; alarm a high “péé-d-deet”.