Birds of Colombia

    PASSERIFORMES: Furnariidae (Ovenbirds)  
Genus: Synallaxis (14 species, 37 worldwide)

Genus Synallaxis, typical Spinetails, are small mostly brown birds with long straight tails. Spinetails are found in low dense growth and are more often heard than seen.


Pale-breasted Spinetail
Pale-breasted Spinetail (Synallaxis albescens)
Cocorná, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Uee-pee call common in open grasslands and wetlands, at lower altitudes than similar Azara's Spinetail.

Dark-breasted Spinetail
Dark-breasted Spinetail (Synallaxis albigularis albigularis)
Puerto Nariño, Amazonas, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.



Azara's Spinetail
Azara's Spinetail (Synallaxis azarae media)
La Romera, Itagui, Antioquia, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Common and vocal at 2000-3000m in Andean cloud forests (a bit lower in Peru).
Alt. photo
Additional photo.

Rio Orinoco Spinetail
Rio Orinoco Spinetail (Synallaxis beverlyae) Near Threatened
Venezuela  
   
Photograph by Daniel Hinckley     Copyright and usage info

A recently discovered river island specialist.

Slaty Spinetail
Slaty Spinetail (Synallaxis brachyura nigrifumosa)
Bahia Solano, Choco, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Vocal, but secretive.

White-whiskered Spinetail
White-whiskered Spinetail (Synallaxis candei candei)
Los Flamencos Wildlife Sanctuary, Camarones, La Guajira, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Note desert scrub habitat. Despite its small range, this species has three visually distinctive subspecies. Birds closer to Venezuela have a white throat and black cheek, reversed from nominate (candei). And birds in Magdalena may have an all black face.

Chestnut-throated Spinetail
Chestnut-throated Spinetail (Synallaxis cherriei)
Carajás National Forest, Pará, Brazil  
   
Photograph by Hector Bottai     Copyright and usage info

Described by ProAves as enigmatic.

Stripe-breasted Spinetail
Stripe-breasted Spinetail (Synallaxis cinnamomea aveledoi)
Ocaña, Norte de Santander, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Sounds a bit like Azara's Spinetail, but is found at lower altitudes. Uniformly brown with white and black throat.

Rusty-headed Spinetail
Rusty-headed Spinetail (Synallaxis fuscorufa) Near Threatened ENDEMIC
Santa Marta Sierra Nevada, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.


Plain-crowned Spinetail
Plain-crowned Spinetail (Synallaxis gujanensis)
Puerto Nariño, Amazonas, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Species is browner from east Colombia through Guyanas and east Brazil, and greyer further west.

Dusky Spinetail
Dusky Spinetail (Synallaxis moesta)
Vereda Las Doradas, Caquetá, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Jorge Muñoz   © All Rights Reserved.


Ruddy Spinetail
Ruddy Spinetail (Synallaxis rutilans caquetensis)
Finca Porvenír, Meta, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Moves in small sometimes noisy groups in dense foliage close to the rainforest floor.

Silvery-throated Spinetail
Silvery-throated Spinetail (Synallaxis subpudica) ENDEMIC
Cerro de Guadalupe, Bogotá, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tropical Birding (Nick Athanas)   © All Rights Reserved.


Rufous Spinetail
Rufous Spinetail (Synallaxis unirufa unirufa)
Tatama National Park, Pueblo Rico, Risaralda, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Reference photo of not-too-different Perija race.
Immature with some patchy coloration.


© Tom Friedel - All Rights Reserved, except for images and data otherwise noted.       Colombia       Panama       Ecuador       Costa Rica       Mexico
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