Slaty spinetail

Synallaxis brachyura

Photo by Chris Perkins (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
slaty spinetail (en); joão-teneném-ardósia (pt); synallaxe ardoisé (fr); pijuí pizarroso (es); graurücken-dickichtschlüpfer (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Furnariidae

Range:
This species is found in Central and South America, from the Honduras to western Colombia and Ecuador.

Size:
These birds are 15-18,5 cm long and weigh 18-19 g.

Habitat:
The slaty spinetail is found in tropical moist forests and scrublands, in open woodlands, dry scrublands, and also in bogs, marshes and swamps, second growths and rural gardens. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.000 m.

Diet:
They on adults, larvae and eggs of various insects and spiders.

Breeding:
The slaty spinetail builds a bulky, spherical nest with a long tubular entrance, made of sticks and placed in a scrub, vine or tree up to 5 m above the ground. The female lays 2-3 greenish-white eggs, which are incubated for 18-19 days. The chicks fledge around 17 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as common. The population is suspected to be increasing as ongoing habitat degradation is creating new areas of suitable habitat.