Spotted Barbtail

Spotted Barbtail

Premnoplex brunnescens

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%

2,318 Verified sightings at Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve From 2019 to 2026
4,986 In all 15 parks
December Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Spotted Barbtail

The spotted barbtail (Premnoplex brunnescens) is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forest. The spotted barbtail was described in 1856 from a type specimen collected in Bogotá, Colombia. It was previously considered to be the same species as the white-throated barbtail (Premnoplex tatei) of Venezuela, and is now classified as a sister species to that bird. Five subspecies are recognized within P. brunnescens, although they are considerably differentiated genetically, and may constitute separate species.

The spotted barbtail ranges from 13 to 15 centimetres (5.1 to 5.9 in) in length, and from 14 to 19 grams... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:10

Ecuador · 2025

© Manuel Sánchez-Nivicela · XC1162559 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Song0:06

Ecuador · 2025

© Marc Anderson · XC1034064 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Uncertain0:11

Ecuador · 2021

© Ma. Cristina Ríos · XC626047 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

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

Cities Where Found

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

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Spotted Barbtail in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Spotted Barbtail sighting in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve on a given day, based on 2,318 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 77th most-seen of the 412 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Spotted Barbtail in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve?

July–August, October and December–March

In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Spotted Barbtail in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve on a given day, against about 10% in April–June, September and November, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Spotted Barbtail?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Spotted Barbtail 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 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve the best place to see a Spotted Barbtail?

Yes

Of the 15 parks where we can rate Spotted Barbtail sightings, Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Chirripó National Park (Costa Rica, about 10%) and Volcán Barú National Park (Panama, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Spotted Barbtail live in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve?

Same family: Furnariidae

The closest relatives of the Spotted Barbtail that you can see in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (family Furnariidae, Ovenbirds and Woodcreepers) are Olivaceous Woodcreeper (about 20%), Streak-headed Woodcreeper (about 20%) and Spotted Woodcreeper (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Spotted Barbtail sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Spotted Barbtail is recorded against all the birds logged in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (2,318 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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