Necklaced spinetail
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Synallaxis stictothorax

The necklaced spinetail (Synallaxis stictothorax ) is a species of ovenbird in the family Furnariidae. Found in Ecuador and Peru, its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.

Show More

In early 2021, the former subspecies S. s. chinchipensis was elevated to species status as Chinchipe spinetail (S. chinchipensis ).

Show Less

Appearance

The necklaced spinetail is about 12.5 cm (5 in) long. The forehead is marked with black and white, and there is a white streak above the eye. The upper parts of the body, the wings and the tail are reddish brown. The flanks are buff and the tail feathers have blackish centres giving the tail a bicoloured effect. The throat and underparts are white, with some fine, dark, transverse streaks on the breast.

Distribution

Geography

Continents
Countries
Biogeographical realms

The necklaced spinetail is native to Ecuador and northern Peru. Its natural habitat is the borders of deciduous forest and arid scrub at altitudes of less than 300 metres (980 ft) above sea level.

Necklaced spinetail habitat map
Necklaced spinetail habitat map
Necklaced spinetail
Attribution-ShareAlike License

Habits and Lifestyle

The necklaced spinetail is more arboreal, rather bolder and more easily observed than most other members of its genus. The song is a distinctive series of sputtering notes, slowly descending and becoming less rapid and fading away at the conclusion. It is often sung from a perch near the bird's nest, or even from within this conspicuous structure which is globular, with a side entrance, and is made of sticks.

Show More

This bird feeds, often in pairs, on small invertebrates which it finds when foraging on the ground in the leaf litter or in the low branches of trees and shrubs.

Show Less
Lifestyle
Seasonal behavior
Bird's call

Population

Population number

The necklaced spinetail is a fairly common bird within its rather restricted range. The total number of birds has not been estimated but the population trend seems to be stable so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".

References

1. Necklaced spinetail Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necklaced_spinetail
2. Necklaced spinetail on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/103675609/93872985
3. Xeno-canto bird call - https://xeno-canto.org/407359

More Fascinating Animals to Learn About