McConnell's Spinetail

Overview

McConnell's spinetail (Synallaxis macconnelli) is a species of bird in the ovenbird family Furnariidae, classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It is a year-round resident found in parts of South America and is considered fairly common but local within its range.

Identification

• Medium-sized bird, 15 to 17 cm long, with dark olive-brown back and rufous-chestnut wings with fuscous brown tips.
• Graduated tail with pointed feathers, dark chestnut in colour.
• Grayish face with a thin pale line behind the eye; blackish chin and throat with grayish white edges.
• Song is a dry rattle ending in a higher-pitched, full-stop 'drrrrrh-Tic'; call is a short, dry rattle like 'drrrr'.

Habitat

Found in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela, with a disjunct distribution across tepuis and lowland regions. It inhabits the edges of montane and lowland evergreen forest, secondary forest, and some riparian forest in French Guiana, favouring dense undergrowth. Elevations range from near sea level to 1,900 m depending on subspecies.

Diet

Diet and foraging behaviour are not well known, but it is thought to feed on arthropods gleaned from foliage and small branches about 1 to 2 m above the ground. It is usually seen in pairs.

Did you know?

The species was named for F. V. McConnell, but the specific epithet is misspelled with 'mac' instead of 'mc' and the error is retained under the rules of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. It is evidently a true forest species that, unlike many Synallaxis spinetails, does not occur in heavily cut-over areas.