Thripophaga fusciceps
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The plain softtail (Thripophaga fusciceps) is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru. The plain softtail was at times placed by some authors in genus Phacellodomus. Because the subspecies are different sizes and are geographically much separated, some authors speculate that they should be treated as full species.
The plain softtail is 16 to 18 cm (6.3 to 7.1 in) long and weighs 23 to 24 g (0.81 to 0.85 oz). The sexes have almost the same plumage. Adult males of the nominate subspecies have a faint pale supercilium and a thin dark line through the eye on a otherwise pale brownish gray face. Their crown is pale gray-brown with faint buff marks. Their upper back is pale gray-brown that becomes rufescent brown on the lower back, rump, and uppertail coverts. Their tail is rufous. Their wings are mostly dark rufous with dark brown tips on the flight feathers. Their chin is pale buff... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 2 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Plain Softtail sighting in Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, based on 30 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 425th most-seen of the 550 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.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Plain Softtail in Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 6 and 9 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Plain Softtail sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Plain Softtail sightings, Tambopata National Reserve ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Manu National Park (Peru, about 10%).
Same family: Furnariidae
The closest relatives of the Plain Softtail that you can see in Tambopata National Reserve (family Furnariidae, Ovenbirds and Woodcreepers) are Buff-throated Woodcreeper (about 40%), Wedge-billed Woodcreeper (about 20%) and Elegant Woodcreeper (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Plain Softtail is recorded against all the birds logged in Tambopata National Reserve (30 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.
