Pale-breasted Spinetail

The Pale-breasted Spinetail, a modestly adorned bird, is a member of the Furnariidae family, known for its industrious nature. It measures between 13 to 16 centimeters in length and tips the scales at a mere 9 to 17 grams. This species is distinguished by its slightly smaller stature and shorter bill compared to its congeners in the Synallaxis genus.

Identification Tips

Adults of the nominate subspecies, Synallaxis albescens, exhibit a pale brownish-gray visage with a fainter line through the eye. The forehead is tinged with olive gray-brown, while the crown boasts a dark rufous hue, occasionally mottled. The back, rump, and uppertail coverts are olive-brown, with rufous wing coverts and tawny-brownish flight feathers. The tail, olive-brown with a rufescent hint on the outer feathers, is graduated and ends in somewhat pointed tips. The throat is whitish with black flecks, and the breast is a pale buffy gray, transitioning to a paler buffy gray belly and browner flanks and undertail coverts. The iris ranges from yellowish to light brown, the maxilla is black to dark gray, the mandible varies from blackish to gray, and the legs and feet are a yellowish brown to grayish olive.

Habitat

The Pale-breasted Spinetail thrives in a variety of open grassy landscapes, including savanna, cerrado, campo rupestre, shrub-steppe, brushy woodlands, pastures, secondary forest edges, marshes, and roadsides. It is typically found below 1,500 meters in elevation, adapting well to Central America's lower altitudes and Colombia's higher reaches.

Distribution

This species is widespread, found in Costa Rica, Panama, Trinidad, and across South America, save for Chile and Ecuador. Its range extends from the Pacific coasts of Central America to the grasslands and forests of South America.

Behaviour

The Pale-breasted Spinetail is a year-round resident in most of its range, with some southern populations possibly migrating north after breeding. It forages in pairs, staying low to the ground as it gleans arthropods, small snails, and other prey from grass, foliage, and small branches.

Song & Calls

The Pale-breasted Spinetail is a vocal bird, singing for extended periods. Its song is a sharp, scratchy series of notes, described in various ways but consistently high-pitched and insistent. Calls include a sharp "bip" and a rattling "churrr" in Costa Rica, while in Brazil, it emits an extremely high "tsweét."

Breeding

Breeding seasons vary geographically, typically occurring in the local spring and summer. Unlike many ovenbirds, this species constructs a globe-shaped nest of grass and thorny sticks with a horizontal entrance tube, lined with soft plant material. Nests are usually placed within 2 meters of the ground. Clutch sizes range from two to four eggs, with both parents sharing incubation duties and caring for the young.

Conservation status

The IUCN has classified the Pale-breasted Spinetail as Least Concern. With an estimated population of 50 million mature individuals and a vast range, the species is considered stable and faces no immediate threats. It is common throughout its range and has shown adaptability to moderate human disturbance.