Metopothrix aurantiaca
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
The orange-fronted plushcrown (Metopothrix aurantiaca) is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The orange-fronted plushcrown is the only member of its genus and has no subspecies. Its plumage is so unlike that of most members of family Furnariidae that many authors have questioned whether it belongs there. Genetic data show that it and the two species of genus Xenerpestes are sisters, and they in turn are sisters to the pink-legged graveteiro (Acrobatornis fonsecai).
The orange-fronted plushcrown is 11 to 12 cm (4.3 to 4.7 in) long and weighs 10 to 12 g (0.35 to 0.42 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have an orange forehead ("front") and yellow lores, eyering, and supercilium; the last becomes greenish yellow behind the eye. They have a faint greenish olive line through the eye and greenish olive ear coverts. Their crown, back, rump, and tail are greenish olive, with the rump being somewhat paler. The "plush" of the crown is usually not apparent in the field. Their wings are dark olive fuscous with pale yellow edges on... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yasuní National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 2 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Orange-fronted Plushcrown sighting in Manu National Park on a given day, based on 27 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 518th most-seen of the 641 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Orange-fronted Plushcrown in Manu National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Orange-fronted Plushcrown sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Orange-fronted Plushcrown sightings, Manu National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Yasuní National Park (Ecuador, under 5%).
Same family: Furnariidae
The closest relatives of the Orange-fronted Plushcrown that you can see in Manu National Park (family Furnariidae, Ovenbirds and Woodcreepers) are Buff-throated Woodcreeper (about 30%), Pale-legged Hornero (about 20%) and Plain-crowned Spinetail (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Orange-fronted Plushcrown is recorded against all the birds logged in Manu National Park (27 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.
