Cabanis's Spinetail

Overview

Cabanis's spinetail (Synallaxis cabanisi) is a species of bird in the ovenbird family Furnariidae, classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It is found in eastern Andean foothills of Peru, Bolivia, and a disjunct population in west-central Brazil.

Identification

• Length between 16 and 18 cm with a weight of 16 to 24 g.
• Sexes are similar in plumage, with dark rufous-chestnut crowns, napes, wings, and dull chestnut tails on otherwise sooty gray-brown bodies.
• Faint ochraceous chestnut streaks appear behind the eyes on a sooty gray-brown face.
• A low nasal 'nyap' is typical of Peruvian and Bolivian populations, while the Brazilian population emits a hurried, chattered 'tjetjetjetjet--' song.

Habitat

Cabanis's spinetails mostly inhabit the eastern foothills of the Andes, favouring the edges of lower montane and lowland evergreen forests, secondary forests, and riparian forests. It is often found in dense undergrowth, including thickets of Guadua bamboo or Gynerium cane. The species occurs in a narrow elevation band between approximately 200 and 350 m.

Diet

The diet and foraging behaviour are not well known, but the bird is thought to feed on arthropods gleaned from foliage and small branches. Foraging takes place about 1 to 2 m above the ground, and the bird is usually seen in pairs.

Did you know?

The bird's English name and specific epithet commemorate the German ornithologist Jean Louis Cabanis.