Creamy-crested Spinetail vs Olive Spinetail

Creamy-crested Spinetail

Cranioleuca albicapilla

Small21 gShrubland

The creamy-crested spinetail is 16 to 17 cm (6.3 to 6.7 in) long and weighs 18 to 24 g (0.63 to 0.85 oz). It is a large member of genus Cranioleuca and has a distinctive head pattern. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a narrow whitish supercilium and gray-brown lores on an otherwise buffy face with some streaking. Their crown and crest are creamy-white. Their back is olivaceous gray that is browner at the rump. Their wing coverts are dark rufous and their flight feathers dull brown. Their tail is rufous; it is graduated and the feathers have pointed tips. Voice: The creamy-crested spinetail's song is "a loud, ascending-descending series of semi-musical notes: tch, tch, tleep-chee-chee-cheechee-ee-ee-ee-ee-trrrr" and is often given in duet. Its calls include "a rising tlee'lee", "a loud, semi-whistled dew", and a "rapid series of tleep notes".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: capacoscar · CC BY 4.0

Olive Spinetail

Cranioleuca obsoleta

Tiny13 gForest

The olive spinetail is 12.5 to 15 cm (4.9 to 5.9 in) long and weighs 12 to 16 g (0.42 to 0.56 oz). It is a smallish, short-billed, member of genus Cranioleuca. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a whitish supercilium, a dull brown band behind the eye, buff and brown streaky ear coverts, and a plain buff malar area. Their forehead is streaked brown and buff, their crown is dull brownish olive, and their back and rump are a slightly richer brown. Their tail is chestnut-rufous; the feathers are graduated and lack barbs at the end giving a spiky appearance. Voice: The olive spinetail's song is a "short series, at first extr. high and hesitant 'tzit-tzit-tzit', and then a short trill ending in a very high '-sfeet-sfeet-sfeet' ". Its calls are "tst" and a "short, hard trill"; the second is also described as a "soft, dry, hurried trill".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Marcelo Schmidt Roberti · CC BY 4.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Creamy-crested Spinetail and Olive Spinetail.