Spix's Spinetail

Overview

Spix's spinetail (Synallaxis spixi) is a species of ovenbird found across parts of South America, including Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Previously known as the chicli spinetail, it is currently classified as a species of Least Concern by the IUCN.

Identification

• 16 to 17 cm long and weighing 12 to 15 g, with a rufous crown and dark brown back, rump, and tail.
• Features a pale gray supercilium on a grayish brown face, with reddish brown to pale orange irises and black maxilla.
• Song includes a five-syllable phrase with a bubbling quality described as 'sweet! bee bee bee bee' and a repeated 'wee'tiddledidee'.

Habitat

Inhabits the Atlantic Forest biome from southeastern Brazil through eastern Paraguay and Uruguay into Argentina. It occupies a wide variety of landscapes such as fields, pastures, gallery forest, and savanna, often staying low in dense undergrowth.

Diet

The specific diet is not fully detailed but includes insects. The bird typically forages in pairs within the understorey or on the ground, usually remaining within 5 m of the ground.

Did you know?

The nest is an elongated dome of spiny sticks with a long lateral entrance tube, which is almost always lined with the shed skins of snakes and lizards.