Bird Guide

Slaty Spinetail vs Spix's Spinetail

Slaty Spinetail (Synallaxis brachyura)

Slaty Spinetail

Synallaxis brachyura

Small18 gShrubland

The slaty spinetail is 14 to 16 cm (5.5 to 6.3 in) long and weighs 16 to 21 g (0.56 to 0.74 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies S. b. brachyura have a grayish supercilium on an otherwise darker gray face. Their crown and nape are deep rufous-chestnut, their back is dark sooty brown to slate-brown, and their rump and uppertail coverts are slightly browner than the back. Their wing coverts and base of their flight feathers are deep rufous-chestnut and the rest of the flight feathers are dark brown. Voice: The slaty spinetail's song has been described as "ch-ch-ch-churrr-r-r-r", "je-ch-ch-chrrrrr", "chut-chut-chrrrrrrrrrrr", and a wren-like "hard trill". While foraging it gives a "chk" call; another call is "chee-ah".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Slaty Spinetail
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Song · Pichincha: Río Guaycuyacu, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Anthony Batista · CC BY 4.0
Spix's Spinetail (Synallaxis spixi)

Spix's Spinetail

Synallaxis spixi

Tiny13 gShrubland

Spix's spinetail is 16 to 17 cm (6.3 to 6.7 in) long and weighs about 12 to 15 g (0.42 to 0.53 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a pale gray supercilium on an otherwise grayish brown face. Their crown is rufous and their back, rump and uppertail coverts dark brown. Their lesser wing coverts are rufous, their median and greater wing coverts dark brown with wide rufous edges, and their flight feathers dark brown. Their tail is dark brown; it is graduated and the central feathers have pointed tips. Voice: The song of Spix's spinetail has been described as "a five syllable phrase, last four notes with bubbling quality: sweet! bee bee bee bee . . . . . .sweet! bee bee bee bee . . . ." and a repeated "wee'tiddledidee....wee'tiddledidee". Another vocalization is a "4- or 5-noted 'wuh-wididit' ".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Daniel S. Katz · CC BY 4.0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Slaty Spinetail and Spix's Spinetail.