Blackish-headed Spinetail

Overview

The blackish-headed spinetail (Synallaxis tithys) is a vulnerable species of ovenbird in the subfamily Furnariinae. It is a monotypic species found in Ecuador and Peru, where it inhabits the undergrowth of tropical deciduous forest and adjacent scrublands.

Identification

• Measures 14.5 to 17 cm in length and weighs 14 to 18 g, with uniform plumage across sexes.
• Adults feature a mostly black face with whitish grizzling on the cheeks, a black forecrown, and a dark gray hindcrown and upper back.
• Underparts are mostly gray with a paler belly and an olive tinge to the flanks, while wing coverts are tawny-rufous and flight feathers are dark fuscous with rufescent brown edges.
• The song is described as a short, dry, ascending trill, 't-t-t-t-t-tit', repeated every few seconds, while excited birds may produce a 'weé-di weé-di weé-di' series.

Habitat

The bird ranges from Manabí and Loja provinces in southwestern Ecuador south into the departments of Tumbes and Piura in far northwestern Peru. It occupies the undergrowth of tropical deciduous forest, secondary forest, and adjacent scrublands, occurring at elevations from near sea level to almost 1,300 m.

Diet

Feeds on arthropods, typically foraging in pairs and rarely joining mixed-species flocks. It gleans prey from leaf litter, foliage, and small branches in dense cover up to about 2 m above the ground.

Did you know?

The species constructs a ball-shaped nest made of sticks, usually placed 3 to 7 m up in vine tangles, but little else is known about its breeding biology beyond a presumed breeding season from January to April.