Line-cheeked spinetail
Line-cheeked spinetail (Cranioleuca antisiensis) is a small, tree-loving bird in the ovenbird family. It lives on the western Andes of Ecuador and Peru, in moist montane forests, woodlands, and scrub, from about 800 to 3,000 meters above sea level.
It is about 14.5 cm long and weighs around 15–18 g. It has a rufous crown, a distinctive white eyebrow (supercilium), a pale throat, brown to olive-grey upperparts, a grey-brown breast, and a rufous tail and wings. The tail is long and the bill curves slightly downward.
The line-cheeked spinetail is active during the day and sings mainly at dawn and dusk to defend its territory, often from the tops of trees. Its calls include chippering and scolding sounds, while the song is a series of loud shrill notes that end in a trill. Both adults and juveniles respond to song playback, indicating an active social life and territory defense.
As an insectivore, it forages for prey among shrubs and lower to mid-levels of the canopy, sometimes moving higher into the trees to feed.
Breeding occurs in February and March, with two eggs laid. Nests are large and oval, placed at the ends of branches; some nests have been described as domed under a palm leaf, made with moss and vines outside and palm fibers and leaves inside. Incubation details are not well known, but fledglings are seen by August. They live in small family groups (2–4 adults and 1–2 juveniles) and are sometimes found in mixed flocks.
There are several subspecies, with antisiensis in the north and palamblae in the south; some classifications also treat Baron's spinetail as a subspecies. The line-cheeked spinetail is related to other Cranioleuca species in a broad, recently diversified group.
Conservation-wise, the IUCN lists it as Least Concern because it is common across its range and can tolerate some human disturbance and regrowth. However, being arboreal makes it vulnerable to deforestation.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 05:55 (CET).