Plain-crowned Spinetail

Overview

The plain-crowned spinetail, Synallaxis gujanensis, is a small bird species in the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is a year-round resident found across a broad range of northern and central South American countries. The species is currently classified as Least Concern by the IUCN due to its extensive range and stable population.

Identification

• Measures 15 to 17 cm in length and weighs between 13 to 22 g, with adults of the nominate subspecies displaying dull brownish upperparts and a faint grayish buff supercilium on an otherwise grayish brown face.
• Wings and tail are dark rufous, with the tail being graduated and featuring pointy feather tips, while the underparts are generally brownish with a lighter belly.
• Legs and feet range from olive-gray to greenish yellow or blue-gray, and the bill features a blackish maxilla and a gray or pale gray mandible.
• Song varies geographically; for instance, in northeastern Brazil it is described as two well-separated notes sounding like 'Whip wuh', whereas in Ecuador it is a leisurely 'keé, kuh' repeated at intervals.

Habitat

Inhabits a variety of landscapes that are typically close to water, including gallery forest, the edges of várzea forest, secondary forest, and scrubby areas with Gynerium cane amid Cecropia woodlands on river islands. The species also occurs in dense regrowth in clearcuts and plantations, generally found at elevations below 1,200 m, though it reaches lower maximum altitudes in Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador.

Diet

Feeds primarily on arthropods, usually foraging in pairs on the ground and in the understorey up to about 2 m above the ground. It gleans its prey from leaf litter, grass, and small branches.

Did you know?

The species' nest is a unique structure made of sticks that can be twice as long as it is wide, featuring a horizontal tunnel leading to the egg chamber.