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. Taxonomy The spotted barbtail was described in 1856 from a type specimen collected in Bogota, 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 five subspecies are P. b. brunneicauda, found in Costa Rica and Western Panama; P. b. brunnescens, found in Eastern Panama, the neighboring regions of Western Colombia, and the mountains of Western Venezuela south to Ecuador and Peru; P. b. coloratus, restricted to the Santa Marta Mountains in Northern Colombia; P. b. rostratus, restricted to the coastal mountains of Northern Venezuela; and P. b. stictonotus, found in the Andes from Southern Peru to Western and central Bolivia. Description The spotted barbtail ranges from in length, and from 14 to 19 grams in weight. The species does not exhibit sexual dimorphism; males and females are alike. Within its family the spotted barbtail is small and