Pale-breasted spinetail

Synallaxis albescens

Photo by Dario Sanches (Wikipedia)

Common name:
pale-breasted spinetail (en); uí-pi (pt); synallaxe albane (fr); pijuí pechiblanco (es); weißbauch-dickichtschlüpfer (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Furnariidae

Range:
This species is found from Costa Rica to northern Argentina, and from the eastern slopes of the Andes to the Atlantic coast of Brazil and the Guyanas. They are also found in Trinidad and Tobago.

Size:
These birds are 14-17 cm long and weigh 13-15 g.

Habitat:
The pale-breasted spinetail is mainly found in dry savannas and scrublands, but also in grasslands, pastures, agricultural areas, marshes and swamps and in forest clearings and degraded patches of former forests. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.500 m.

Diet:
They are insectivorous, gleaning various arthropods from the foliage, usually in dense vegetation.

Breeding:
Pale-breasted spinetails nest in a large spherical structure made of sticks, dry grass and sometimes snake skins and spider webs. The nest has a long tubular entrance and is usually placed in low vegetation, up to 2 m above the ground. There the female lays 2-5 greenish-white eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for 14-18 days. The chicks fledge 16-17 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common.  This species is expanding its range into areas that have been cleared.

Brown cacholote

Pseudoseisura lophotes

Photo by Jorge San Pedro (Foto Natura)

Common name:
brown cacholote (en); coperete (pt); cacholote brun (fr); cacholote castaño (es); dunkelbrauner cachalote (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Furnariidae

Range:
This species is found in southern South America, from southern Bolivia, through Paraguay and Uruguay, and down to central Argentina. They are also found in extreme southern Brazil, in Rio Grande do Sul.

Size:
These bird are 24-26 cm long and weigh 65-90 g.

Habitat:
The brown cacholote is mostly found in dry tropical forests, but also in moist forests, moist savannas, second growths and within urban areas. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 900 m.

Diet:
They mainly feed on larval and adult insects, especially beetles and large ants, but also the eggs of other birds, seeds and fruits.

Breeding:
Brown cacholotes breed in October-February. They build a large, bulky nest, made of sticks and lined with plant materials, twigs and dung. The nest is placed in an horizontal branch, 4-6 m above the ground. The female lays 2-4 white eggs, which are incubated by both parents for 18-20 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 18-23 days after hatching. After hatching the chicks remain in the parental territory for up to 1 year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as fairly common. This population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Plain-crowned spinetail

Synallaxis gujanensis

Photo by Maxime Dechelle (Oiseaux)

Common name:
plain-crowned spinetail (en); joão-teneném-becuá (pt); synallaxe de Cayenne (fr); pijuí coronipardo (es); braunkappen-dickichtschlüpfer (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Furnariidae

Range:
This South American species is found from Colombia, Venezuela and the Guynas south to central Brazil, Peru and northern Bolivia.

Size:
These birds are 15-17 cm long and weigh 20-30 g.

Habitat:
The plain-crowned spinetail is mostly found in rainforests, gallery forests and swamp forests, especially along rivers and streams. They are also found in moist scrublands, second growths and plantations. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 1.200 m.

Diet:
They glean various arthropods from foliage in the forests understorey, sometimes also hunting on the ground.

Breeding:
Plain-crowned spinetails are presumed to be monogamous. The nest is built by both sexes, consisting a globe-shaped mass of sticks with a sideways entrance, placed 1-2 m above ground in low dense vegetation. The female lays 2-3 eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for 17-19 days. The chicks are fed by both parents.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common. The population is suspected to suffer a moderate decline in the near-future based on current estimates of habitat loss due to Amazonian deforestation, but it is not considered threatened at present.

Yellow-chinned spinetail

Certhiaxis cinnamomeus

Photo by Celi Aurora (Flickr)

Common name:
yellow-chinned spinetail (en); curutié (pt); synallaxe à gorge jaune (fr); curutié colorado (es); gelbkinn-riedschlüpfer (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Furnariidae


Range:
This South American species is found from northern Colombia and Venezuela, through Brazil and into Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and northern Argentina.


Size:
These birds are 13-16 cm long and weigh 13-17 g.


Habitat:
The yellow-chinned spinetail is found in humid areas such as marshes, mangrove borders and grassy or scrubby wetlands with plenty of emergent or floating vegetation. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 1.000 m.


Diet:
They feed on various invertebrates, such as spiders, adult and larval insects, earthworms and snails.


Breeding:
The breeding season of the yellow-chinned spinetail varies according to its range. The nest is  a bulky spherical structure made of sticks and twigs, placed in a fork in a tree up to 9 m above the ground, usually near running water. There the female lays 2-5 greenish-white eggs, which are incubated by both parents for 14-15 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 13-18 days after hatching, but remain with their parents for a few more weeks.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common. This population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat loss and degradation

Greater thornbird

Phacellodomus ruber

Photo by Markus Lagerqvist (Pbase)

Common name:
greater thronbird (en); graveteiro (pt); synallaxe rouge (fr); espinero grande (es); rotbrauner bündelnister (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Furnariidae


Range:
This South American species is found in central and southern Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, northern Argentina and northern Uruguay.


Size:
These birds are 19-21 cm long and weigh 35-50 g.


Habitat:
Greater thornbirds are found in the undergrowth of tropical moist forests, in moist scrublands, riverine thickets, marshes and degraded former forests. They are present at altitudes of 300-1.400 m.


Diet:
They forage on the ground, among dense vegetation or near the edges of water bodies, taking insects, such as ants and beetles, and other small invertebrates.


Breeding:
The greater thornbird breeds in October-January. The nest is a bulky, cone-shaped structure, made of sticks, twigs, and branches and lined with fine grasses and feathers. It is placed in low vegetation, 1-3 m above the ground, and often over water. The female lays 3-4 white eggs, which are incubated by both parents for 20-22 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and possible fledge 25-29 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common. This population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Buff-throated foliage-gleaner

Automolus ochrolaemus

Photo by Chris Perkins (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
buff-throated foliage-gleaner (en); barranqueiro-camurça (pt); anabate à gorge fauve (fr); ticotico gorgiclaro (es); fahlkehl-baumspäher (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Furnariidae


Range:
This species is found from southern Mexico, across Central America and south to Peru, Bolivia and north-western Brazil.


Size:
These birds are 18-19 cm long and weigh 42 g.


Habitat:
Buff-throated foliage-gleaners are mostly found in rainforests and swamp forests, but also in low altitude mountain forests and coffee plantation, from sea level up to an altitude of 1.650 m.


Diet:
They mostly forage in dense understorey or on the ground, hunting large insects, spiders and small frogs and lizards.


Breeding:
The buff-throated foliage-gleaner excavates a tunnel in a dirt bank, at the end of which is placed a shallow nest cup made of plant fibres. The female lays 2-3 white eggs, which are incubated by both parents for 19-21 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 18-19 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 500.000-5.000.000 individuals. This population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Spotted barbtail

Premnoplex brunnescens

Photo by Gary Clark (Bird Forum)

Common name:
spotted barbtail (en); joão-malhado (pt); anabasitte tachetée (fr); subepalo moteado (es); westlicher fleckenstachelschwanz (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Furnariidae


Range:
This species is found from Costa Rica and Panama, through northern Venezuela and Colombia and into Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.


Size:
The spotted barbtail is 13-14 cm long and weighs 16-18 g.


Habitat:
These birds are found in dense understory, in moist mountain forests, typically occurring along rivers and streams. They are found at altitudes of 600-2.600 m.


Diet:
They eat various arthropods including beetle, ants, roaches and spiders.


Breeding:
Spotted barbtails can breed all year round, with a peak in March-August. Both sexes help build the nest, a large globular structure made of living mosses and liverworts, clay and rootlets, placed in tree trunks, soil banks or rock faces, often over water. The female lays 2-3 white eggs which are incubated by both sexes for 27-31 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 19-22 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as fairly common. This population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats, but its dependence on mountain streams may make it vulnerable to human alterations to these delicate ecossystems.

Bay-capped wren-spinetail

Spartonoica maluroides

Photo by Carlos Schwertner (Flickr)

Common name:
bay-capped wren-spinetail (en); boininha (pt); synallaxe des marais (fr); canastero enano (es); strichelrücken-dickichtschlüpfer (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Furnariidae


Range:
This South American species is found from the southernmost tip of Brazil, through Uruguay and into eastern a central Argentina.


Size:
These birds are 14 cm long and weigh 10-12 g.


Habitat:
The bay-capped wren-spinetail is mostly found in brackish and freshwater marshes with extensive growths of Eryngium and Scirpus, and may associate with Spartina grass. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 900 m.


Diet:
These birds are insectivorous, gleaning various arthropods from marsh vegetation and grasses.


Breeding:
Bay-capped wren-spinetails breed in September-January. Both sexes build the nest, a rudimentary enclosed structure made of twigs and grasses, placed near the ground deep inside sedges and rushes. The female lays 2-4 eggs which are incubated by both sexes for 13 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 11-14 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near-threatened)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as fairly common. The population is suspected to be declining slowly as a result of on-going drainage and conversion of wetland habitats, as well as the drying effects of the expanding Eucalyptus and Pinus plantations.

Plain xenops

Xenops minutus

Photo by Mike Danzenbaker (Mike Dazenbaker's Bird Photography)

Common name:

plain xenops (en); bico-virado-miúdo (pt); sittine brune (fr); picolezna menudo (es); braunbauch-baumspäher (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Furnariidae

Range:

The plain xenops is found from southern Mexico south to western Ecuador, northeastern Argentina and central Brazil.

Size:

These birds are 11-12,5 cm long and weigh 11-12 g.

Habitat:

These birds are mostly found in tropical and sub-tropical moist forests, but may also use swamp forests and dry forests. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.500 m.

Diet:

The pain xenops search bark, rotting stumps or bare twigs for insects and their larvae. They are known to eat wood-boring beetles, bush crickets, ants and termites.

Breeding:

These birds breed in January-May. They nest in holes in decaying tree trunks or branches, 1-10 m above the ground. They may use old woodpecker nests or excavate their own holes. The nest is lined with plant fibres. The female lays 2 white eggs which are incubated by both sexes for 15-17 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 13-14 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 5-50 million individuals. The population trend for this species is undetermined as there is no sufficient data, but it is not believed to be threatened.

Scaly-throated leaftosser

Sclerurus guatemalensis

Photo by Arthur Grosset (Tree of Life)

Common name:

scaly-throated leaftosser (en); vira-folhas-escamado (pt); sclérure écaillé (fr); tirahojas guatemalteco (es); fleckenbrust-laubwender (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Furnariidae

Range:

These birds are found in Central America, from southern Mexico down to Panama.

Size:

They are 16-17 cm long and weigh 30-35 g.

Habitat:

The scaly-throated leaftosser is found in tropical and subtropical moist forests, both in the lowlands and in mountainous areas up to an altitude of 1.250 m.

Diet:

They eat small invertebrates which they find among the leaf litter in the forest ground.

Breeding:

Scaly-throated leaftossers breed in May-December. The nest is a shallow cup made of the rachis of compound leaves, placed in a chamber at the end of a burrow, with a long entrance tunnel. It is generally located in a vertical cliff or clay wall, next to a stream or trail. There the female lays 2 white eggs which are incubated by both parents for 21 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 15 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a relatively large breeding range and a global population estimated at 20.000-50.000 individuals. This population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction, but it is not considered threatened at present.

Rufous hornero

Furnarius rufus

Photo by Dario Sanches (Flickr)

Common name:

rufous hornero (en); joão-de-barro (pt); fournier roux (fr); hornero cómun (es); rosttöpfer (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Furnariidae

Range:

This South American species is found in Bolivia, much of southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northern and central Argentina.

Size:

The rufous hornero is 18-20 cm long and weighs around 50 g.

Habitat:

They are found in a wide variety of arid, open habitats, often near streams, rivers or lakes, and also near human settlements and roads. They can be found up to an altitude of 3.500 m.

Diet:

The rufous hornero is a ground forager, mostly eating insects, worms and possibly molluscs. They ocasionally also take vegetable matter, such as seeds and fruit.

Breeding:

These birds breed in August-December. They build an elaborate oven-shaped mud nest, generally placed on a tree, fence posts or telephone pole. The internal nest cavity is accessed through a side-hole entrance. The nesting structure is used once and then abandoned, although disused nests may persist for several years and are often used by other species. The female lays 2-4 eggs which are incubated by both parents for 14-18 birds. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 23-26 days after hatching, but remain in the parental territory for around 6 months.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

The rufous hornero has a very large breeding range and is described as common and widespread. This population is suspected to be increasing as ongoing habitat degradation is creating new areas of suitable habitat.

Chestnut-capped foliage-gleaner

Hylocryptus rectirostris

Photo by Alessandro Abdala (Flickriver)

Common name:

chestnut-capped foliage-gleaner (en); fura-barreira (pt); anabate à bec droit (fr); barranquero de pico recto (es); östlicher rötelbaumspäher (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Furnariidae

Range:

This South American species is endemic to the Cerrado region of southern Brazil and northern Paraguay.

Size:

These birds are 20-22 cm long and weigh 45-55 g.

Habitat:

This species is found in the undergrowth of gallery forests and in patches of deciduous woodland.

Diet:

The chestnut-capped foliage-gleaner mostly searches for food among dead leaves on the ground, often near water, taking various arthropods, namely grasshoppers and caterpillars. They are also known to occasionally eat amphibians.

Breeding:

These birds breed in August-November. Both sexes help build the nest, excavating a hole on a river bank, inside which they build a cup using small twigs and bark. There the female lays 2-3 white eggs which are incubated by both parents for 17 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 21-25 days after hatching, but remain within the parental territory for up to 3 months.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a large breeding range, but is described as rare. The chestnut-capped foliage-gleaner is presumably threatened by selective logging and agricultural conversion of forested areas within the Brazilian planalto, but the population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines.

White-lored spinetail

Synallaxis albilora

Photo by Nick Athanas (Antpitta)

Common name:

white-lored spinetail (en); joão-do-pantanal (pt); synallaxe ocré (fr); pijuí ocráceo (es); weißzügel-dickichtschlüpfer (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Furnariidae

Range:

This South American species is restricted to the Pantanal wetlands in south-western Brazil, eastern Bolivia and northern Paraguay.

Size:

The white-lored spinetail is 9-11 cm long and weighs 17-18 g.

Habitat:

They are found in the undergrowth of lowland moist forests, dense gallery forests and wet scrublands along rivers, streams and permanent creeks.

Diet:

White-lored spinetails are insectivorous, taking various insects and other invertebrates.

Breeding:

They breed in July-December. Both sexes participate in nest building, the nest being similar to a retort, built with pieces of kindling and lined with leaves. Its exterior consists of larger

pieces of kindling and thorns. There the female lays 3-4 whitish eggs which are incubated for 14-16 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 13-15 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a relatively large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, this species is described as common. This population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Thorn-tailed rayadito

Aphrastura spinicauda

Photo by Diego Arellano (Flickr)

Common name:

thorn-tailed rayadito (en); raiadinho (pt); synallaxe rayadito (fr); rayadito (es); festland-stachelschwanzschlüpfer (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Furnariidae

Range:

The thorn-tailed rayadito is distributed in central and southern Chile and the adjacent extreme western edge of Argentina.

Size:

These birds are 13-15 cm long and weighs 10-12 g.

Habitat:

They are mostly found in temperate forests with trees such as Araucaria and Nothofagus beech.

Diet:

Thorn-tailed rayaditos often forage in mixed species flocks, gleaning insects and other invertebrates from leaves and tree bark.

Breeding:

These birds breed in October-January. They nest in in holes or behind the bark of the trees in deciduous forests, and the inside of the nest is lines with small twigs, grasses, ferns and feathers. There the female lays 3-6 eggs which are incubated for 11-15 days by both parents. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 20-23 days after hatching. Some pairs may produce 2 clutches per season.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

The thorn-tailed rayadito has a large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, this species is described as common. This population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Tail-banded hornero

Furnarius figulus

Photo by Celi Aurora (Flickr)

Common name:

tail-banded hornero (en); casaca-de-couro-da-lama (pt); fournier bridé (fr); hornero colibandeado (es); schwarzspitzentöpfer (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Furnariidae

Range:

This species is endemic to Brazil. There are 2 distinct populations, one in eastern Brazil from Maranhão to south Bahia and extending into Espírito Santo, and another in east Amazonas, central Pará and the upper Rio Araguaia.

Size:

The tail-banded hornero is 16 cm long and weighs 34-37 g.

Habitat:

Their natural habitats include a wide range of wooded habitats, especially near water and around mudflats.

Diet:

These birds feed on invertebrates, including insects and other arthropods, as well as shellfish.

Breeding:

The tail-banded hornero breeds in February-September. They nest in a shallow oval cup made of dry grasses, cotton and other plant fibres, as well as feathers, and sometimes lined with pieces of plastic and paper. There the female lays 2 eggs which are incubated by both parents for about 20 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge about 22 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

Although the global population size has not been quantified, this species is described as fairly common over its very arge breeding range. This species undergone a range expansion over the last century, which is suspected to be continuing.

Red-billed scythebill

Campylorhamphus trochilirostris

Common name:

red-billed scythebill (en); arapaçu-beija-flor (pt); grimpar à bec rouge (fr); picoguadaña piquirrojo (es); rotrücken-sensenschnabel (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Furnariidae

Range:

These South American birds are found from Panama and Venezuela, through Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, and into western Brazil, Paraguay and northern Argentina.

Size:

This large woodcreeper is 24-28 cm long and weighs 34-40 g.

Habitat:

These birds are found in a wide range of dense forest habitats, including rainforests, tropical and sub-tropical dry forests, lowland forests and mountain forests. They can be found up to an altitude of 2.000 m.

Diet:

Red-billed scythebills use their long recurved bill to pick insects and other invertebrates from the trunks and branches of trees.

Breeding:

These birds use abandoned woodpecker nests or other tree holes to nest in. The female lays 2-3 eggs which are incubated by both parents for 15-21 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 19-23 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

The red-billed scythebill has a very large breeding range. Although the population size has not been quantified this species is described as fairly common, but patchily distributed. This population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Point-tailed palmcreeper

Berlepschia rikeri

Common name:

point-tailed palmcreeper (en); limpa-folha-do-buriti (pt); anabate des palmiers (fr); palmero (es); palmsteiger (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Furnariidae

Range:

This South American species is found from southern Venezuela and the Guyanas, into Amazonian and eastern Brazil down to Mato Grosso and Goiás, and through south-eastern Colombia, eastern Peru and north-eastern Bolivia.

Size:

These birds are 18-22 cm long and weigh 35 g.

Habitat:

The point-tailed palmcreeper is found in tropical and subtropical dry forests, mostly in palm groves populated by Mauritia and other Arecaceae. They are found from sea level up to an altitude of 300 m.

Diet:

These birds glean the palm fronds for food, taking a variety of insects and other invertebrates.

Breeding:

Point-tailed palmcreepers are monogamous. Males and females have similar roles during breeding, both helping to build nests, incubate eggs, feed nestlings and fledglings and remove fecal sacks. They build their nests at the base of the palm fronds, using twings, palm leaves and other plant material. The female lays 2-5 eggs which are incubated for 14-22 days. The chicks are altricial and fledge 13-29 days after hatching, but may remain in their parent’s territory for several months.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

The global population size has not been quantified, but this species is described as 'uncommon and patchily distributed' over its very large breeding range. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Royal cinclodes

Cinclodes aricomae

Photo by Jean Talla (Chocolate Caramelo)

Common name:

royal cinclodes (en); curriqueiro-real (pt); cinclode royal (fr); remolinera real (es); weißkehl-uferwipper (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Furnariidae

Range:

The royal cinclodes is restricted to a few small areas in the Andes of south-east Peru (Cuzco, Apurímac, Puno and Junín) and adjacent Bolivia (La Paz).

Size:

This species is 20-21 cm long and weighs 50 g.

Habitat:

This species is mostly confined to tiny, humid patches of Polylepis woodland and mountain scrub, but can also be found in Gynoxis woodland. They are found at altitudes of 3.500-4.800 m above sea level.

Diet:

The diet of the royal cinclodes consists of invertebrates which they find in moss, leaf litter and decaying wood. They may occasionally take small vertebrates, like frogs, and seeds are also sometimes eaten.

Breeding:

These birds nest in November-March. The the nest is built at the end of a tunnel dug into a bank or cliff face, although natural crevices and rodent burrows can also be used for nesting. The female lays 2 eggs but there is no further breeding information about this species.

Conservation:

IUCN status - CR (Critically Endangered)

This species has a very small, fragmented and declining breeding range, and the population is down to just 50-250 individuals. The species is suspected to be rapidly declining owing to the loss of Polylepis forest as well as burning and grazing which cause degradation and loss of understorey moss and prevent regeneration. altogether the royal cinclodes is currently considered critically endangered.