Stripe-breasted spinetail

Species of bird

The stripe breasted spinetail (Synallaxis cinnamomea) is a passerine bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Colombia, Trinidad, Tobago, and Venezuela.

The stripe breasted spinetail has a disjunct distribution. The subspecies are found thus:

S. c. carri: Trinidad
S. c. terrestris: Tobago
S. c. cinnamomea: Serranía del Perijá on the Venezuela/Colombia border and Colombia's Eastern Andes in Magdalena Department and between Santander and Cundinamarca departments
S. c. aveledoi: Andes of western Venezuela from Falcón state south to northern Táchira state and into Colombia's Norte de Santander Department
S. c. bolivari: the Venezuelan Coastal Range from Yaracuy state east to Miranda and northern Guárico states
S. c. striatipectus: northeastern Venezuela's Sucre and Anzoátegui states
S. c. pariae: the Paria Peninsula in northeastern Venezuela

On the South American mainland the stripe breasted spinetail inhabits a variety of landscapes, primarily subtropical and tropical deciduous forest, gallery forest, and arid montane and second growth scrublands. It also inhabits undergrowth in the interior and edges of tropical lowland and lower montane forest, and locally occurs in second growth woodlands and overgrown coffee plantations. On Trindad and Tobago it primarily inhabits the undergrowth of forests. In elevation it ranges between in Colombia and between in Venezuela.

The stripe breasted spinetail is a year round resident throughout its range.

The stripe breasted spinetail feeds on arthropods. It typically forages in pairs and occasionally joins mixed species feeding flocks. It gleans prey from foliage and branches up to about above the ground, and on the ground explores leaf litter for prey.

The stripe breasted spinetail breeds at any time of the year on Trinidad and at a minimum between March and August on Tobago; its breeding season in Colombia and Venezuela are not known. Though it is a member of the ovenbird family, which is named for the clay nests many species make, the stripe breasted spinetail constructs a globe of sticks and leaves with an entrance tunnel on top. It can be placed on sloping ground or in a bush up to about above the ground. The clutch size is three eggs. The incubation period, time to fledging, and details of parental care are not known.

The stripe breasted spinetail's song is two notes, of which the second is lower but rising, " a nasal, sharp 'chík kweek' or 'chúrt wert' " that is often repeated for long periods. Its calls are a "soft, whining 'peeeur' or querulous 'chew' ".

The IUCN has assessed the stripe breasted spinetail as being of Least Concern. It has a large range and though its population size is not known it is believed to be stable. No immediate threats have been identified. It is considered fairly common in Colombia, common on Trindad and Tobago, very common on the Paria Peninsula, and local in the Venzuelan Andes. It occurs in several protected areas and "[t]hrives in forested areas opened by cutting".