Bird Guide

Sooty-fronted Spinetail vs Spix's Spinetail

Sooty-fronted Spinetail (Synallaxis frontalis)

Sooty-fronted Spinetail

Synallaxis frontalis

Tiny14 gWoodland

The sooty-fronted spinetail is 14 to 16 cm (5.5 to 6.3 in) long and weighs 11 to 17 g (0.39 to 0.60 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a thin brownish line through the eye on an otherwise brownish gray face. Their forecrown ("front") is dark gray-brown, their hindcrown and nape dark rufous, and their back, rump and uppertail coverts brown with a rufescent tinge. Their wing coverts are dark rufous and their flight feathers tawny-rufous with dusky tips. Voice: What appears to be the sooty-fronted spinetail's song is variously described as " 'ka-kwee-éék', 'ka-kweek', 'pi-whéé', or 'ja-coo-éé' ", a "very high 2-noted 'du-Twee' ", and "a slow, deliberate teeoopooee". This vocalization is often given for long periods. It also makes a " 'sew-kli' or 'chi-cli', and ated nasal 'hoint'or 'hoít' ".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom · CC BY 2.0
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

Where you might meet both

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