Bird Guide

Pallid Spinetail vs Red-faced Spinetail

Pallid Spinetail (Cranioleuca pallida)

Pallid Spinetail

Cranioleuca pallida

Tiny12 gForest

The pallid spinetail is 14 to 15 cm (5.5 to 5.9 in) long and weighs 11 to 12 g (0.39 to 0.42 oz). It is a smallish member of genus Cranioleuca. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a wide whitish supercilium, a blackish spot in front of the eye, a dark brown band behind the eye, and buffy ear coverts with faint dark brownish streaks. Their forehead is streaked blackish and buff, their crown is dark rufous, and their nape gray. Their back and rump are tawny-olive or olive-brown. Their tail is dark rufous; the feathers are graduated and lack barbs at the end giving a spiky appearance. Voice: The pallid spinetail's song is an "extr. high, slightly descending series of about 5 'seetseet---tut' notes (often accelerated to a trill at the end)". Its call is "tééé-ssik, tséé-ssik".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: filipeprates · CC BY 4.0
Red-faced Spinetail (Cranioleuca erythrops)

Red-faced Spinetail

Cranioleuca erythrops

Small17 gForest

The red-faced spinetail is 14 to 15 cm (5.5 to 5.9 in) long and weighs 13 to 20 g (0.46 to 0.71 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a rufous face and crown. Their nape and back are rich olive-brown that is richer and brighter on the rump and uppertail coverts. Their wings are rufous and their flight feathers have slightly duller edges and dark fuscous tips. Their tail is reddish chestnut; it is graduated and the feathers lack barbs on the ends giving a spiny appearance. Their chin is brownish gray and the rest of their underparts dull olivaceous brown. Voice: The red-faced spinetail's song is a "high-pitched, fast, scratchy chatter-trill, 'seet-seet-seet-se-e-e-e-e-e-e-e' or 'ukukuk-ikikikikik' ". It is also described as a "rapid ascending series of squeaky 'sfi' notes sometimes turning into twittering chatter at end". The species' calls are "a short, high-pitched 'prrreep' " and " 'chi-tik' or or 'chiti-chik' ".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Red-faced Spinetail
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Dawn song · Pichincha: ridge between Río Mindo and Río Nambillo, 3 km SE Mindo, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Anna Hess · CC BY 4.0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Pallid Spinetail and Red-faced Spinetail.