Red-faced Spinetail

Red-faced Spinetail

Cranioleuca erythrops

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at San José

In 3 days <5%

86 Verified sightings at San José
7,942 In all 13 parks From 2019 to 2026
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Red-faced Spinetail

The red-faced spinetail (Cranioleuca erythrops) is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama. The red-faced spinetail is 14 to 15 cm (5.5 to 5.9 in) long and weighs 13 to 20 g (0.46 to 0.71 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a rufous face and crown. Their nape and back are rich olive-brown that is richer and brighter on the rump and uppertail coverts. Their wings are rufous and their flight feathers have slightly duller edges and dark fuscous tips. Their tail is reddish chestnut; it is graduated and the feathers lack barbs on the ends giving a spiny appearance. Their chin is brownish gray and the rest of their underparts dull olivaceous brown. Their iris is orange to reddish brown to brown, their maxilla blackish to dark fuscous, their mandible grayish horn or pinkish with a blackish tip, and their legs and feet brownish olive to... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:26

Ecuador · 2026

© Manuel Sánchez-Nivicela · XC1161965 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Alarm call0:21

Colombia · 2018

© Brayan Coral Jaramillo · XC418679 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:42

Colombia · 2017

© Rolf A. de By · XC387522 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~50%
2 Volcán Barú National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~30%
3 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
4 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
5 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
6 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
7 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
8 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
9 Los Quetzales National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
10 Poás Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
11 Irazú Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
12 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
13 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 San José 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
2 Cali 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Red-faced Spinetail in San José?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Red-faced Spinetail sighting in San José on a given day, based on 86 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 209th most-seen of the 379 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Red-faced Spinetail in San José?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Red-faced Spinetail in San José on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Red-faced Spinetail?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Red-faced Spinetail sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is San José the best place to see a Red-faced Spinetail?

Yes

Of the 2 cities where we can rate Red-faced Spinetail sightings, San José has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Cali (Colombia, under 5%).

Where does the Red-faced Spinetail sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Red-faced Spinetail is recorded against all the birds logged in San José (86 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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