| White-whiskered spinetail | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Furnariidae |
| Genus: | Synallaxis |
| Species: | S. candei |
| Binomial name | |
| Synallaxis candei d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1838 | |
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The white-whiskered spinetail (Synallaxis candei) is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela. [2]
The white-whiskered spinetail was originally described in genus Synallaxis. [3] In the early twentieth century some authors moved it into the newly created genus Poecilurus. By 2000 the merger of Poecilurus into Synallaxis was generally accepted and a study published in 2011 confirmed that placement. That study also established that the white-whiskered spinetail and the rufous-breasted spinetail (S. erythrothorax) are sister species. [4] [5]
The white-whiskered spinetail has three subspecies, the nominate S. c. candei (d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1838), S. c. atrigularis (Todd, 1917), and S. c. venezuelensis (Cory, 1913). [2]
The white-whiskered spinetail's specific epithet honors Admiral Antoine Marie Ferdinand de Maussion de Candé, an explorer of South America. [6]
The white-whiskered spinetail is 15 to 17 cm (5.9 to 6.7 in) long and weighs 14 to 16 g (0.49 to 0.56 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a wide white "moustache" and a wide rufous supercilium on an otherwise blackish face. Their crown is dark gray mottled with black and their nape, back, rump and uppertail coverts bright rufous. Their wings are bright rufous with dusky tips on their flight feathers. Their tail's proximal two-thirds is bright rufous and the distal third dark fuscous. Their chin is white and their throat black. Their breast and sides are bright rufous, their flanks slightly paler, their belly white, and their undertail coverts pale rufous. Their iris is dark brown, their maxilla black, their mandible black or blackish with some yellowish on its underside, and their legs and feet slate-gray to blue-gray. Subspecies S. c. atrigularis has a brown back, with no supercilium, grayish white flecks on the black cheek and chin, a dusky chestnut base to the tail, and a duller breast and more olivaceous flanks than the nominate.S. c. venezuelensis is paler overall than the nominate, with a white throat with a black band below it and a sharper delineation between the tail's colors. [7] [8]
The nominate subspecies of the white-whiskered spinetail is found in northern Colombia's Sucre and Magdalena departments. Subspecies S. c. atrigularis is found in the middle reaches of the Magdalena River valley in northern Colombia. S. c. venezuelensis is found in far northern Colombia's Cesar and La Guajira departments and east into northwestern Venezuela as far as Falcón and Lara states. [7]
The white-whiskered spinetail inhabits tropical deciduous forest, arid scrublands, overgrown pastures, and the edges of mangrove stands. In elevation it ranges from sea level to 300 m (1,000 ft) in Colombia and to 1,100 m (3,600 ft) in Venezuela. [7] [8]
The white-whiskered spinetail is a year-round resident throughout its range. [7]
The white-whiskered spinetail feeds on arthropods. It typically forages in pairs, gleaning prey mostly from the ground but also from twigs and branches up to about 2 m (7 ft) above the ground. [7]
The white-whiskered spinetail is thought to breed during the rainy season of October to January, and is thought to be monogamous. Its nest is a mass of thorny sticks about twice as long as it is wide and high with a tunnel entrance near the top. The nest's exterior is "thatched" with smaller twigs and bark. The inner chamber's bottom is lined with leaves and sometimes snake skins. It is typically placed in a thorny bush between 1.3 and 2.5 m (4 and 8 ft) above the ground. The clutch size is three to four eggs. The incubation period, time to fledging, and details of parental care are not known. [7]
The white-whiskered spinetail's song has four notes of which the middle two are stronger, a repeated "nasal 'a-dít-dít-du' ". Its call is "a nasal 'paa-pip' " and it renders "a nasal 'naaaa' " when alarmed. [7] [8]
The IUCN has assessed the white-whiskered spinetail as being of Least Concern. It has a fairly large range; its population size is not known but is believed to be stable. No immediate threats have been identified. [1] It is considered fairly common to common. [7]
The pale-breasted spinetail is a passerine bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Costa Rica, Panama, Trinidad, and in every mainland South American country except Chile and Ecuador.
Synallaxis is a genus of birds in the ovenbird family, Furnariidae. It is one of the most diverse genera in the family and is composed of small birds that inhabit dense undergrowth across tropical and subtropical habitats in the Neotropical region. Some species show contrasting plumage patterns involving rufous crown and wing patches and black throat patches but they are difficult to see as they keep ensconced in vegetation most of the time. Most species show the long graduated tail with pointy feathers that is typical of spinetails. They are also characterized by constructing large domed nests with stick, including a long entrance tube. Some species can be difficult to distinguish from one another on the basis of their plumage, but can be told apart by their vocalizations, which can be quite distinctive.
Parker's spinetail is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru.
The white-browed spinetail is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
The chotoy spinetail is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
The great spinetail is a Near Threatened species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is endemic to Peru.
Azara's spinetail is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
Cabanis's spinetail is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru.
The Apurimac spinetail is a Vulnerable species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is endemic to Peru.
The rufous-breasted spinetail is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.
The plain-crowned spinetail is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
The cinereous-breasted spinetail is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Peru.
The hoary-throated spinetail is a Critically Endangered bird species in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Brazil and Guyana.
The dusky spinetail is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
The white-bellied spinetail is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, and Peru.
The ochre-cheeked spinetail is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Peru.
The necklaced spinetail is a species of ovenbird in the family Furnariidae. It is found in Ecuador and Peru.
The Rio Orinoco spinetail, or Orinoco spinetail, is a Near Threatened species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Venezuela and possibly Colombia.
Poecilurus is an obsolete genus of birds formerly classified in the Furnariidae (ovenbird) family from South America. It contained three species:
The Chinchipe spinetail is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae, the ovenbirds. It is endemic to Peru.
