Grey-bellied Spinetail

Overview

The grey-bellied spinetail (Synallaxis cinerascens) is a species of ovenbird found in southern South America. It is classified as a species of Least Concern by the IUCN, although its population is believed to be decreasing due to habitat loss.

Identification

• Length of 13.5 to 15 cm with a weight of 10 to 14 g, featuring a monotypic plumage that is gray-brown on the face and brownish gray on the underparts.
• Distinctive reddish chestnut wings and a dark chestnut tail with spiny, barbless tips.
• Black bill, sometimes with a gray base, reddish brown irises, and greenish gray legs.
• Song described as a very high, piercing 'weeet-sweet' with the first note higher than the second.

Habitat

Found in the interior of dense lowland and montane evergreen forests and mature secondary forest, shunning forest edges. Its range extends from specific states in Brazil through eastern Paraguay and northeastern Argentina into northern Uruguay. It inhabits elevations from near sea level to 1,150 m.

Diet

Feeds on arthropods gleaned from leaf litter and low vegetation. It usually forages in pairs on the ground and in the understorey up to approximately 2 m above the ground.

Did you know?

The bird's tail feathers lack barbs at their tips, giving them a distinct spiny appearance.