Rufous Spinetail

About the Rufous Spinetail

The rufous spinetail (Synallaxis unirufa) is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. The rufous spinetail has these four subspecies:

S. u. munoztebari Phelps, WH & Phelps, WH Jr, 1953 S. u. meridana Hartert, EJO & Goodson, 1917 S. u. unirufa Lafresnaye, 1843 S. u. ochrogaster Zimmer, JT, 1935 For a period in the mid twentieth century the black-throated spinetail (S. castanea) was treated as another subspecies of the rufous spinetail; they are now known to be sister species. The rufous spinetail, black-throated spinetail, and rusty-headed spinetail (S. fuscorufa) were treated by some authors as a single species.

The rufous spinetail is 16 to 18 cm (6.3 to 7.1 in) long and weighs 17 to 21 g (0.60 to 0.74 oz). It is one of the larger members of genus Synallaxis. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies S. u. unirufa are mostly bright reddish rufous. Their forehead is slightly paler and they have sooty blackish lores. Their throat feathers have black bases that are seldom visible. Their iris is dark brown to dark reddish... Wikipedia →