Little Thornbird
Phacellodomus sibilatrix
The Little Thornbird (Phacellodomus sibilatrix) is a rare ovenbirds and woodcreeper found in 5 countries, weighing about 16 g. The little thornbird is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae.
About the Little Thornbird
The little thornbird is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The little thornbird is 13 to 14 cm (5.1 to 5.5 in) long and weighs about 14 to 16 g (0.49 to 0.56 oz). It is the smallest member of its genus. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a wide dull buff-whitish supercilium that extends beyond the eye and an indistinct dull brown stripe behind the eye on an otherwise light brownish face. Their forehead is light rufous with pale streaks, their crown and back dull brown, and their rump and uppertail coverts rufescent-tinged brown. Their wings are mostly shades of brown with darker brown primary coverts and some rufescence. Voice: The little thornbird's song is "a duetted series of sharp, piercing, loud and straight tee tee tees, where one bird goes faster than the other (three notes for two) so the effect is a tee teeter tee teeter teeter tee tee teeter...". Its call is "a sharp 'chip', often repeated".
What the Little Thornbird sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
The Little Thornbird can be seen all year round, with peak activity in October. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Little Thornbird?
- The little thornbird is 13 to 14 cm (5.1 to 5.5 in) long and weighs about 14 to 16 g (0.49 to 0.56 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Little Thornbird?
- The Little Thornbird is a small sized bird weighing about 16 g.
- Where can you see a Little Thornbird?
- The Little Thornbird occurs in 5 countries, including Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia and Brazil.
- What does a Little Thornbird sound like?
- You can listen to a field recording of the Little Thornbird on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Little Thornbird?
- The Little Thornbird is most easily confused with the Streak-fronted Thornbird, the Orange-eyed Thornbird and the Spot-breasted Thornbird.
- Is the Little Thornbird endangered?
- The Little Thornbird is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Little Thornbird for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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