Stripe-breasted Spinetail

Overview

The stripe-breasted spinetail (Synallaxis cinnamomea) is a passerine bird in the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN and is found across parts of South America and the Caribbean.

Identification

• Measures 14 to 16 cm in length with a notably short, graduated tail that appears spiny due to the lack of barbs on the feather ends.
• Underparts are rufous with fulvous streaks, a unique marking in the genus Synallaxis, while the throat is streaked black on white.
• Vocalisation consists of a sharp, nasal song described as 'chík-kweek' or 'chúrt-wert', often repeated for long periods, alongside soft whining calls.

Habitat

This species has a disjunct range spanning Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad, and Tobago. It inhabits subtropical and tropical deciduous forests, gallery forests, arid montane scrublands, and undergrowth, with elevations ranging from 700 m in Venezuela to 3,100 m in Colombia.

Diet

The stripe-breasted spinetail feeds on arthropods, foraging typically in pairs or joining mixed-species feeding flocks. It gleans prey from foliage and branches up to two metres high and explores leaf litter on the ground.

Did you know?

Although the ovenbird family is named for clay nests, this species constructs a globe of sticks and leaves with an entrance tunnel on top, placing it on sloping ground or in bushes.