Pearled Treerunner

The Pearled Treerunner occurs on both slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes, inhabiting humid montane and cloud forests typically between 2,000 and 3,500 meters. It is generally uncommon but regularly encountered, often seen singly or in pairs hitching along mossy branches in the middle to upper forest strata, where it joins mixed-species flocks and probes epiphytes for arthropods. The species is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, with a broad Andean range and a population suspected to be slowly declining due to forest loss, though not at a rate that currently threatens its status. Natural history observations highlight its rufous plumage, bold white spotting, and spiny tail tips, which aid in vertical climbing, while nesting biology remains poorly documented.