Rufous-breasted spinetail

Synallaxis erythrothorax

Photo by Michael Retter (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
rufous-breasted spinetail (en); joão-teneném-de-peito-ruivo (pt); synallaxe à poitrine rousse (fr); pijuí centroamericano (es); rotbrust-dickichtschlüpfer (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Furnariidae

Range:
This species is found in two disjunct populations, one along the Atlantic slopes of Central America from south-eastern Mexico to north-western Honduras, and another along the Pacific slopes of south-eastern Chiapas, in Mexico, southern Guatemala, and El Salvador.

Size:
These birds are 13-15,5 cm long and weigh 15-19 g.

Habitat:
The rufous-breasted spinetail is found in densely vegetated habitats, including secondary forests, scrublands, the edges of lowland rainforests and swamps. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 750 m.

Diet:
They are mostly insectivorous, plucking adult insects, caterpillars and spiders from the foliage on taking them from the ground. They also eat small berries.

Breeding:
Rufous-breasted spinetails breed in April-September. The nest  is a large, domed structure with an entrance in the small end, attaching to a tunnel that leads to the nest chamber at the large end. It is made of sticks and placed on an horizontal branch of a small tree or scrub, usually 2-4 m above the ground and near a water source such as a stream. The female lays 2-4 white or pale blue eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for 17-18 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 14-16 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and a global population estimated at 50.000-500.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats and they seem to be able to adapt to secondary habitats, thus being less affected by deforestation than other species more associated with primary rainforests.

Striped treehunter

Thripadectes holostictus

Photo by William Price (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
striped treehunter (en); trepa-musgos-listado (pt); anabate strié (fr); trepamusgos listado (es); strichelbaumspäher (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Furnariidae

Range:
This South American species is found along the eastern slopes of the Andes, from south-western Venezuela to central Bolivia.

Size:
These birds are 20-21 cm long.

Habitat:
The striped treehunter is mostly found on the undergrowth of mountain rainforests, but also in degraded patches of former forests, at altitudes of 900-3.000 m.

Diet:
They hunt among dense vegetation, taking various invertebrates.

Breeding:
Striped treehunters breed in October-January. They nest is made of rootlets and placed in a burrow excavated into a steep bank or vegetation-covered road-cut. The female lays 2-3 eggs which are are incubated for 13-17 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 20-23 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as fairly common. This population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Common miner

Geositta cunicularia

Photo by Marcos Suárez (Aves del Golfo Ártabro)

Common name:
common miner (en); curriqueiro (pt); géositte mineuse (fr); minero común (es); Patagonienerdhacker (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Furnariidae

Range:
This species is found from southern Peru and Bolivia, through Chile and into Argentina, southern Brazil and Uruguay.

Size:
These birds are 14-17 cm long and weigh 20-34 g.

Habitat:
The common miner is found in open grasslands, including dry grasslands and high-altitude grasslands, in scrublands and sandy areas such as coastal dunes. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 5.000 m.

Diet:
They mainly feed on various arthropods, including their eggs and larvae, but will also take some seeds.

Breeding:
Common miners breed in September-March, the exact season varying between different parts of their range. They nest in a deep burrow, up to 3 m long, excavated by both sexes in sandy bank, often in sloping ground. The nest-chamber is padded with grasses, flowers, rootlets, animal hairs and feathers. The female lays 2-3 white eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for about 14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 18-20 days after hatching. Each pair raises 1-2 broods per season.

Conservation:
IUCN status -LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as fairly common. This population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction, but the common miner is not considered threatened at present.

Alagoas foliage-gleaner

Philydor novaesi

Photo by Ciro Albano (NE Brazil Birding)

Common name:
Alagoas foliage-gleaner (en); limpa-folha-do-nordeste (pt); anabate d'Alagoas (fr); ticotico de Alagoas (es); Alagoas-blattspäher (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Furnariidae

Range:
This species is endemic to eastern Brazil, only being found in Alagoas and Pernambuco.

Size:
These birds are 18 cm long and weigh 30-38 g.

Habitat:
The Alagoas foliage-gleaner is found along the edges of clearings in interior moist tropical forests, and sometimes also in old secondary forests, at altitudes of 400-550 m.

Diet:
They glean the foliage and bark of trees and dead wood in search of adult and larval insects, namely ants, beetles and grasshoppers.

Breeding:
There is virtually no information regarding the breeding behaviour of the Alagoas foliage-gleaner. Fledged young have been found in January.

Conservation:
IUCN status - CR (Critically Endangered)
This species has a very small breeding range and the global population is estimated at just 50-250 individuals. This species was only discovered in 1979 but the population is believed to be declining rapidly owing to the widespread and ongoing clearance of forest through logging, felling for charcoal and for conversion to sugar cane plantations and pastures. Beside habitat destruction and fragmentation, this species may also be threatened by climate change as distribution lays close to the maximum altitude within its range.

Blackish cinclodes

Cinclodes antarcticus

Photo by Laurent Demongin (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
blackish cinclodes (en); pedreiro-negro (pt); cinclode fuligineux (fr); remolinera negra (es); rußbrauner-uferwipper (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Furnariidae

Range:
This species is found in the southern tip of South America, in Tierra del Fuego and the Falkland islands.

Size:
These birds are 18-23 cm long and weigh 55-70 g.

Habitat:
The blackish cinclodes is mostly found in rocky shorelines, tidal pools, rocky cliffs and offshore islands and also in snady beaches and among grass tussocks. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 100 m.

Diet:
They feed on small insects and small marine invertebrates found among rotting kelp, but also take regurgitated fish from sea bird colonies, carrion and human garbage.

Breeding:
Blackish cinclodes breed in September-January. The cup-shaped nest is made of grass, lined with feathers and placed under rocks, grass clumps, buildings, in a hole in the ground or in an abandoned petrel burrow. There the female lays 1-3 eggs which are incubated for about 2 weeks. The chicks fledge about 2 weeks after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a restricted breeding range, but it is described as fairly common. The population in the Falkland islands is estimated at 20.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to predation by invasive species, especially cats and rats, but the blackish cinclodes seems to thrive on rat-free islands.

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.

Pale-breasted spinetail

Synallaxis albescens

Photo by Dario Sanches (Wikipedia)

Common name:
pale-breasted spinetail (en); uí-pi (pt); synallaxe albane (fr); pijuí pechiblanco (es); weißbauch-dickichtschlüpfer (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Furnariidae

Range:
This species is found from Costa Rica to northern Argentina, and from the eastern slopes of the Andes to the Atlantic coast of Brazil and the Guyanas. They are also found in Trinidad and Tobago.

Size:
These birds are 14-17 cm long and weigh 13-15 g.

Habitat:
The pale-breasted spinetail is mainly found in dry savannas and scrublands, but also in grasslands, pastures, agricultural areas, marshes and swamps and in forest clearings and degraded patches of former forests. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.500 m.

Diet:
They are insectivorous, gleaning various arthropods from the foliage, usually in dense vegetation.

Breeding:
Pale-breasted spinetails nest in a large spherical structure made of sticks, dry grass and sometimes snake skins and spider webs. The nest has a long tubular entrance and is usually placed in low vegetation, up to 2 m above the ground. There the female lays 2-5 greenish-white eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for 14-18 days. The chicks fledge 16-17 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common.  This species is expanding its range into areas that have been cleared.

Brown cacholote

Pseudoseisura lophotes

Photo by Jorge San Pedro (Foto Natura)

Common name:
brown cacholote (en); coperete (pt); cacholote brun (fr); cacholote castaño (es); dunkelbrauner cachalote (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Furnariidae

Range:
This species is found in southern South America, from southern Bolivia, through Paraguay and Uruguay, and down to central Argentina. They are also found in extreme southern Brazil, in Rio Grande do Sul.

Size:
These bird are 24-26 cm long and weigh 65-90 g.

Habitat:
The brown cacholote is mostly found in dry tropical forests, but also in moist forests, moist savannas, second growths and within urban areas. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 900 m.

Diet:
They mainly feed on larval and adult insects, especially beetles and large ants, but also the eggs of other birds, seeds and fruits.

Breeding:
Brown cacholotes breed in October-February. They build a large, bulky nest, made of sticks and lined with plant materials, twigs and dung. The nest is placed in an horizontal branch, 4-6 m above the ground. The female lays 2-4 white eggs, which are incubated by both parents for 18-20 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 18-23 days after hatching. After hatching the chicks remain in the parental territory for up to 1 year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as fairly common. This population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Plain-crowned spinetail

Synallaxis gujanensis

Photo by Maxime Dechelle (Oiseaux)

Common name:
plain-crowned spinetail (en); joão-teneném-becuá (pt); synallaxe de Cayenne (fr); pijuí coronipardo (es); braunkappen-dickichtschlüpfer (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Furnariidae

Range:
This South American species is found from Colombia, Venezuela and the Guynas south to central Brazil, Peru and northern Bolivia.

Size:
These birds are 15-17 cm long and weigh 20-30 g.

Habitat:
The plain-crowned spinetail is mostly found in rainforests, gallery forests and swamp forests, especially along rivers and streams. They are also found in moist scrublands, second growths and plantations. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 1.200 m.

Diet:
They glean various arthropods from foliage in the forests understorey, sometimes also hunting on the ground.

Breeding:
Plain-crowned spinetails are presumed to be monogamous. The nest is built by both sexes, consisting a globe-shaped mass of sticks with a sideways entrance, placed 1-2 m above ground in low dense vegetation. The female lays 2-3 eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for 17-19 days. The chicks are fed by both parents.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common. The population is suspected to suffer a moderate decline in the near-future based on current estimates of habitat loss due to Amazonian deforestation, but it is not considered threatened at present.

Yellow-chinned spinetail

Certhiaxis cinnamomeus

Photo by Celi Aurora (Flickr)

Common name:
yellow-chinned spinetail (en); curutié (pt); synallaxe à gorge jaune (fr); curutié colorado (es); gelbkinn-riedschlüpfer (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Furnariidae


Range:
This South American species is found from northern Colombia and Venezuela, through Brazil and into Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and northern Argentina.


Size:
These birds are 13-16 cm long and weigh 13-17 g.


Habitat:
The yellow-chinned spinetail is found in humid areas such as marshes, mangrove borders and grassy or scrubby wetlands with plenty of emergent or floating vegetation. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 1.000 m.


Diet:
They feed on various invertebrates, such as spiders, adult and larval insects, earthworms and snails.


Breeding:
The breeding season of the yellow-chinned spinetail varies according to its range. The nest is  a bulky spherical structure made of sticks and twigs, placed in a fork in a tree up to 9 m above the ground, usually near running water. There the female lays 2-5 greenish-white eggs, which are incubated by both parents for 14-15 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 13-18 days after hatching, but remain with their parents for a few more weeks.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common. This population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat loss and degradation

Greater thornbird

Phacellodomus ruber

Photo by Markus Lagerqvist (Pbase)

Common name:
greater thronbird (en); graveteiro (pt); synallaxe rouge (fr); espinero grande (es); rotbrauner bündelnister (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Furnariidae


Range:
This South American species is found in central and southern Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, northern Argentina and northern Uruguay.


Size:
These birds are 19-21 cm long and weigh 35-50 g.


Habitat:
Greater thornbirds are found in the undergrowth of tropical moist forests, in moist scrublands, riverine thickets, marshes and degraded former forests. They are present at altitudes of 300-1.400 m.


Diet:
They forage on the ground, among dense vegetation or near the edges of water bodies, taking insects, such as ants and beetles, and other small invertebrates.


Breeding:
The greater thornbird breeds in October-January. The nest is a bulky, cone-shaped structure, made of sticks, twigs, and branches and lined with fine grasses and feathers. It is placed in low vegetation, 1-3 m above the ground, and often over water. The female lays 3-4 white eggs, which are incubated by both parents for 20-22 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and possible fledge 25-29 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common. This population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Buff-throated foliage-gleaner

Automolus ochrolaemus

Photo by Chris Perkins (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
buff-throated foliage-gleaner (en); barranqueiro-camurça (pt); anabate à gorge fauve (fr); ticotico gorgiclaro (es); fahlkehl-baumspäher (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Furnariidae


Range:
This species is found from southern Mexico, across Central America and south to Peru, Bolivia and north-western Brazil.


Size:
These birds are 18-19 cm long and weigh 42 g.


Habitat:
Buff-throated foliage-gleaners are mostly found in rainforests and swamp forests, but also in low altitude mountain forests and coffee plantation, from sea level up to an altitude of 1.650 m.


Diet:
They mostly forage in dense understorey or on the ground, hunting large insects, spiders and small frogs and lizards.


Breeding:
The buff-throated foliage-gleaner excavates a tunnel in a dirt bank, at the end of which is placed a shallow nest cup made of plant fibres. The female lays 2-3 white eggs, which are incubated by both parents for 19-21 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 18-19 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 500.000-5.000.000 individuals. This population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Spotted barbtail

Premnoplex brunnescens

Photo by Gary Clark (Bird Forum)

Common name:
spotted barbtail (en); joão-malhado (pt); anabasitte tachetée (fr); subepalo moteado (es); westlicher fleckenstachelschwanz (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Furnariidae


Range:
This species is found from Costa Rica and Panama, through northern Venezuela and Colombia and into Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.


Size:
The spotted barbtail is 13-14 cm long and weighs 16-18 g.


Habitat:
These birds are found in dense understory, in moist mountain forests, typically occurring along rivers and streams. They are found at altitudes of 600-2.600 m.


Diet:
They eat various arthropods including beetle, ants, roaches and spiders.


Breeding:
Spotted barbtails can breed all year round, with a peak in March-August. Both sexes help build the nest, a large globular structure made of living mosses and liverworts, clay and rootlets, placed in tree trunks, soil banks or rock faces, often over water. The female lays 2-3 white eggs which are incubated by both sexes for 27-31 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 19-22 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as fairly common. This population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats, but its dependence on mountain streams may make it vulnerable to human alterations to these delicate ecossystems.

Bay-capped wren-spinetail

Spartonoica maluroides

Photo by Carlos Schwertner (Flickr)

Common name:
bay-capped wren-spinetail (en); boininha (pt); synallaxe des marais (fr); canastero enano (es); strichelrücken-dickichtschlüpfer (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Furnariidae


Range:
This South American species is found from the southernmost tip of Brazil, through Uruguay and into eastern a central Argentina.


Size:
These birds are 14 cm long and weigh 10-12 g.


Habitat:
The bay-capped wren-spinetail is mostly found in brackish and freshwater marshes with extensive growths of Eryngium and Scirpus, and may associate with Spartina grass. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 900 m.


Diet:
These birds are insectivorous, gleaning various arthropods from marsh vegetation and grasses.


Breeding:
Bay-capped wren-spinetails breed in September-January. Both sexes build the nest, a rudimentary enclosed structure made of twigs and grasses, placed near the ground deep inside sedges and rushes. The female lays 2-4 eggs which are incubated by both sexes for 13 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 11-14 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near-threatened)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as fairly common. The population is suspected to be declining slowly as a result of on-going drainage and conversion of wetland habitats, as well as the drying effects of the expanding Eucalyptus and Pinus plantations.