Distribution

Russet-bellied Spinetail is confined to arid montane woody scrub habitats along the west slope of west-central Peru. The species is resident with no recorded elevational movements. Russet-bellied Spinetail is found in suitable habitat between 2,100-2,900 m elevation (Remsen 2003, Schulenberg et al. 2007), and most common above 2,500m (Remsen 2003), but it is known from at least one location at a much lower elevation (e.g. 1,900m, Fjeldså and Krabbe 1990). Currently, highly fragmented populations can be found in suitable habitat from west La Libertad and south to the Cordillera Negra in Ancash (Frank and Salinas 2001). There remains the possibility that further populations, albeit small/highly fragmented, within this narrow range will be found at other as yet unsurveyed locations.

The species was first collected in August 1956 near Colcabamba (2,800-2,900 m elevation), in the Casma valley, Ancash (Koepcke 1957). The northern-most populations are located at Llaguén (2,650 m) and Sinsicap (2,285m) in La Libertad. Six populations are known from the Cordillera Negra: the type locality near Colcabamba; Cerro Quitacruz and the east side of Quebrada de Río Seco (2,830-2,900 m) above Chacchan, in the Casma valley; Bosque San Damien (1,830-2,300 m) above the town of San Damien in the Huarmey Valley; Cochabamba (2,600 m) on the north side of the Casma Valley; Wi¿apajatun, below San Juan (2,600 m) in the Culebras Valley; and Bosque de Noqno, near the town of Pararin (2,850 m) in the Cotaparaco Valley (Franke and Salinas 2001).

Endemic to the Americas

Russet-bellied Spinetail appears to be restricted to arid montane woody scrub habitats on mountain slopes. This woody habitat is highly patchy in nature, usually consists of tangled and often thorny short trees and shrubs, 1-3m tall, and with near impenetrable interior. The dominant genera of shrubs at known localities include: Acca, Berberis, Cestrum, Cordia, Croton, Dasyphyllum, Duranta, Hesperomeles, Randia, Sebastiana and Solanum (Valencia 1990, Franke and Salinas 2001). The species has also been observed in denser forest with Escallonia resinosa and Myrcianthes quinqueloba trees (Franke and Salinas 2001).

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