South American Leaftosser

South American Leaftosser

Sclerurus obscurior

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Farallones de Cali National Natural Park

In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%

38 Verified sightings at Farallones de Cali National Natural Park From 2019 to 2026
71 In all 3 parks
August Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the South American Leaftosser

The dusky leaftosser or South American leaftosser (Sclerurus obscurior) is a bird in subfamily Sclerurinae, the leaftossers and miners, of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Giana, Guyana, Panama, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.

The dusky leaftosser's taxonomy is unsettled. The South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society (AOS), the International Ornithological Committee (IOC), and the Clements taxonomy assign it these five subspecies:

The North American Classification Committee of the AOS and BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW) retain an older treatment. They place these subspecies within S. mexicanus, which they respectively call the Middle American leaftosser and the tawny-throated leaftosser.

This article treats the dusky leaftosser as a species with five subspecies. The dusky leaftosser is 15 to 17 cm (5.9 to 6.7 in) long and weighs 20 to 30 g (0.71 to 1.1 oz). The... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:10

Ecuador · 2025

© Marc Anderson · XC1094056 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Call0:30

Brazil · 2021

© Felipe Arantes · XC696000 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Canto0:42

Brazil · 2016

© Caio Brito · XC427932 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
2 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
3 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a South American Leaftosser in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a South American Leaftosser sighting in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park on a given day, based on 38 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 354th most-seen of the 542 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a South American Leaftosser in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a South American Leaftosser in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a South American Leaftosser?

Between 7 and 10 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most South American Leaftosser sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Farallones de Cali National Natural Park the best place to see a South American Leaftosser?

Yes

Of the 3 parks where we can rate South American Leaftosser sightings, Farallones de Cali National Natural Park has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Manu National Park (Peru, under 5%) and Yasuní National Park (Ecuador, under 5%).

Which relatives of the South American Leaftosser live in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park?

Same family: Furnariidae

The closest relatives of the South American Leaftosser that you can see in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park (family Furnariidae, Ovenbirds and Woodcreepers) are Red-faced Spinetail (about 50%), Montane Woodcreeper (about 10%) and Azara's Spinetail (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the South American Leaftosser sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the South American Leaftosser is recorded against all the birds logged in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park (38 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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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