Orinoco Softtail
Thripophaga cherriei
The Orinoco Softtail (Thripophaga cherriei) is a legendary ovenbirds and woodcreeper found in 2 countries, weighing about 17 g. The Orinoco softtail is a Vulnerable species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae.
About the Orinoco Softtail
The Orinoco softtail is a Vulnerable species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The Orinoco softtail is 15.5 to 17.5 cm (6.1 to 6.9 in) long. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a faint buff or whitish supercilium on a otherwise buff-streaked brownish face. Their forehead is brown with buff streaks and their crown medium brown with some faint yellowish spots. Their back is rufescent brown with a faint olive cast, their rump rufescent, and their uppertail coverts reddish chestnut. Their tail is dark rufous to reddish chestnut. Their wings are mostly dark rufous chestnut with rufous-cinnamon at the base of the flight feathers. Voice: The Orinoco sofftail's song "consists of 2‒4 nasal notes followed by a rattled series of short notes at a pace of about 15‒20 notes/second". It is typically sung in early morning and often in duet. The species' calls include a "strident grating scolding chrr", a nasal "chi-tew", and "short chik and very faint chup notes".
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, August, October, November, December, with peak activity in February. It is a winter visitor species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify an Orinoco Softtail?
- The Orinoco softtail is 15.5 to 17.5 cm (6.1 to 6.9 in) long. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is an Orinoco Softtail?
- The Orinoco Softtail is a small sized bird weighing about 17 g.
- Where can you see an Orinoco Softtail?
- The Orinoco Softtail occurs in 2 countries, including Colombia and Venezuela.
- What birds look similar to an Orinoco Softtail?
- The Orinoco Softtail is most easily confused with the Striated Softtail, the Delta Amacuro Softtail and the Plain Softtail.
- Is the Orinoco Softtail endangered?
- The Orinoco Softtail is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Orinoco Softtail for real
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