Long-tailed Cinclodes

Overview

The long-tailed cinclodes (Cinclodes pabsti) is a Near Threatened species of ovenbird endemic to Brazil. It is basal to the genus Cinclodes and comprises two subspecies, the nominate and C. p. espinhacensis, which differs morphologically but is genetically similar to the nominate.

Identification

• Measures 20 to 22 cm in length and weighs between 43 and 55 g.
• Nominate subspecies feature a wide, white supercilium that narrows past the eye and a dark band through the eye that widens over the ear coverts.
• Upperparts are greyish brown with a crown slightly darker than the back; wings display two wide but indistinct cinnamon-buff bars and a wider band.
• Tail is dark brown with buff or ochraceous tips on the outer feathers; throat is white, contrasting with pale yellowish buffy-brown underparts.
• Song is described as a very high, short, sharp, crescendoing rattle or trill sung from a perch or in flight, accompanied by a descending 'tseeoo' call.

Habitat

Found in extreme southeastern Brazil, the nominate subspecies inhabits open landscapes such as temperate grasslands, pastures, and agricultural land, usually near water, in rocky areas or near houses between 750 and 1,700 m elevation. The subspecies C. p. espinhacensis is restricted to a small part of Serra do Espinhaço in Minas Gerais, living in campos rupestres montane savanna with rock outcrops between 1,100 and 1,500 m elevation.

Diet

The bird feeds on arthropods and is thought to consume other invertebrates as well. It typically forages alone or in pairs, gleaning prey from the ground, grass, and the edge of watercourses, while the subspecies C. p. espinhacensis also forages on rock outcrops.

Did you know?

This species is known to excavate tunnels in rocky soil banks or use rock crevices for nesting, but has also been recorded nesting inside a hole in a house. Its scientific name commemorates the Brazilian botanist Guido Frederico João Pabst.