Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...

White-throated Spadebill

Platyrinchus mystaceus

The White-throated Spadebill, a diminutive member of the tyrant flycatcher family, is a bird that captures the imagination with its distinctive features. It measures a mere 3.8 inches in length and weighs approximately 0.33 ounces. This species is characterized by its large eyes, very short tail, and a bill that is broad and flat, reminiscent of a spade. The bird's plumage is a study in contrasts: dark olive brown on the upperparts, buff on the underparts, and a striking white throat. A concealed yellow crest adorns the crown, which the male proudly erects while singing.

Identification Tips

To identify the White-throated Spadebill, look for the long yellowish supercilium, blackish ear coverts, and a yellow eyering. A black stripe runs down each side of the neck, and the bill is black above, brown below. Both sexes are similar, though the female sports a smaller crown patch. Juveniles differ with brighter and ruddier upperparts, no crown patch, and a grey throat that fades to a whitish belly.

Habitat

This species thrives in wet hill forests, showing a preference for areas with dense, tangled undergrowth and medium-sized trees, typically between 33 and 100 feet tall. It is often found in forests overgrown with epiphytes and hemiepiphytes.

Distribution

The White-throated Spadebill is a resident from Costa Rica through South America to western Ecuador, Brazil, and northeastern Argentina. It is also found on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago.

Behaviour

A solitary and active bird, the White-throated Spadebill is a challenge to spot as it flits rapidly through the undergrowth. It occasionally joins mixed-species feeding flocks and captures small arthropods with a sudden, upward-darting sally flight, accompanied by an audible bill-snap.

Song & calls

While not particularly vocal, the White-throated Spadebill does emit a sharp "chweet" call.

Breeding

The species constructs a deep cup nest from dead grass and plant fibers, placing it low in a sapling. The typical clutch consists of two yellow-tinged white eggs adorned with a rufous wreath.

Similar Species

There are subspecies and potential similar species within the White-throated Spadebill's range, but the taxonomy is currently uncertain. Variations exist in the brightness of the underparts and the crown color among these subspecies.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the White-throated Spadebill is primarily composed of small arthropods, which it captures with agility and precision.

Conservation status

The IUCN has classified the White-throated Spadebill as Least Concern, indicating that it is not currently at risk of extinction in the wild.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

White-throated Spadebills on Birda

Sightings
A map showing the sighting location
🐧
Fabio Guedes
21 Jun 2024 - 10:22am
Brazil

More Tyrant Flycatchers, Calyptura

A photo of a Strange-tailed Tyrant (Alectrurus risora) , male

Strange-tailed Tyrant

Alectrurus risora
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
778
Great bird recording
For a while I’ve been trying to find an app to easily record bird lists and day out and struggled to find one that I like. Birda is great for this, straightforward and a great community!
Carl B
Helped me to identify more birds
Love this app and has helped me to identify more birds. The challenges and badges are great for keeping the motivation going to get out and keep birding.
BCHphotography_
Such a great app!
I didn’t think I could enjoy birding more but this app makes it so much better. Some great features and a really great way to share your sightings with your friends or fellow birders nearby or around the world! ❤️
SuperOliviaGirl
Really great app
It’s easy to use and it’s fun to log the birds you notice on a walk or just in your garden. There’s a option to record the birds you see in a session which is really nice. Good excuse to stop for a while and just watch birds. I am also enjoying the information part where you can find out fact about birds from all over the world.
Paul F
Very good database
Highly recommend. It great that this app shows you male Vs female variations when posting. Very good database I'm really impressed.
Anonymous
The best bird logging app
Birda is honestly the best bird logging app I have seen. I love all the features it has from being able to do a session and log all the birds you see in one sitting, to being able to connect with other birders from all over the globe!
David C
Very knowledgeable group
Nice friendly birding community. Very knowledgeable group with a willingness to help.
Alice J
Awesome Birding Community
I absolutely love the community aspect of this app. The app is so user friendly and has fun interactive challenges to get you out birding. I’ve tried others but since I’ve started using Birda I’ve not gone back!
Nicole
Gets me outdoors more
I'm still loving this app. I use it most days & gets me outdoors more. Enjoying watching others progress and photo's, it's improved my wellbeing.... I love this app! I can keep a record of sightings and see what others have seen too.
Safira V
Birding and wellbeing app
Birda is an excellent platform to share your love of Birding and is a great tool of encouragement for a Birding Beginner like me. Birda has a very kind and supportive community of Birding enthusiasts. For me BIRDA is not only a BIRDING but also a WELLBEING App.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.