Slaty Spinetail
Synallaxis brachyura
The Slaty Spinetail (Synallaxis brachyura) is a uncommon ovenbirds and woodcreeper found in 7 countries, weighing about 18 g. The slaty spinetail or slaty castlebuilder,, is a passerine bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae.
About the Slaty Spinetail
The slaty spinetail or slaty castlebuilder,, is a passerine bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found from Honduras south to Peru.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
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".
What the Slaty Spinetail sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
The Slaty Spinetail can be seen all year round, with peak activity in October. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Slaty Spinetail?
- 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). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Slaty Spinetail?
- The Slaty Spinetail is a small sized bird weighing about 18 g.
- Where can you see a Slaty Spinetail?
- The Slaty Spinetail occurs in 7 countries, including Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama and Nicaragua.
- What does a Slaty Spinetail sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Slaty Spinetail on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Slaty Spinetail?
- The Slaty Spinetail is most easily confused with the Spix's Spinetail, the Sooty-fronted Spinetail and the Rufous-capped Spinetail.
- Is the Slaty Spinetail endangered?
- The Slaty Spinetail is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Slaty Spinetail for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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