OVENBIRDS   -   FURNARIIDAE   -   PART V

Cactus Canastero Pseudasthenes cactorum lachayensis Lomas de Lachay, Lima department, Peru. This species has been moved to a different genus than the other canasteros, but I've kept it here out of taxonomical order. It's endemic to very dry, cactus-filled slopes of western Peru. (S6)

Caatinga Cacholote Pseudoseisura cristata Fazenda Nova Esperança, Canudos-Jeremoaba road, Bahia state, Brazil. Endemic to interior eastern Brazil. The song duet given by pairs of these active and entertaining birds is unforgettable, and one of the most characteristic sounds of the region. (D3)

Rufous (Gray-crested) Cacholote Pseudoseisura unirufa Pousada Piuval, Mato Grosso state, Brazil. These bold, noisy birds are a common sight in the Pantanal, often right in the grounds of your lodge. (S5f)

White-throated Cacholote Pseudoseisura gutturalis Quilmes, Tucumán province, Argentina. This distinctive cacholote is endemic to the deserts of Argentina. Here it is perched on its huge, thorny stick nest. (S5)

White-throated Cacholote Pseudoseisura gutturalis Quilmes, Tucumán province, Argentina. A different pose of the same bird as above. (S5)

Chotoy Spinetail Schoeniophylax phryganophilus phryganophilus Pantanal Highway, Mato Grosso state, Brazil. A beautiful and unique spinetail in its own monotypic genus. It is found in lightly wooded areas from Bolivia to Uruguay and northern Argentina. (D3)

Chotoy Spinetail Schoeniophylax phryganophilus phryganophilus Pantanal Highway, Mato Grosso state, Brazil. Now that's a tail! (S6)

Yellow-chinned Spinetail Certhiaxis cinnamomeus russeola Pirapora, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. This one is always found around still water (fresh or salt). The yellow chin is not always obvious in the field. (S8)

Ochre-cheeked Spinetail Synallaxis scutata whitii Calilegua National Park, Jujuy province, Argentina. One of the more colorful of the Synallaxis spinetails. It has a rather large range from eastern Brazil to northwestern Argentina, but is quite localized. (S8)

Gray-bellied Spinetail Synallaxis cinerascens Pico da Caledônia, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. Endemic to the Atlantic Forest highlands. (S6)

Plain-crowned Spinetail Synallaxis gujanensis huallagae Amazonia Lodge, Madre de Dios region, Peru. Widespread in the Amazonian and Guianan regions, though in many areas very localized. (S8)

Pinto's Spinetail Synallaxis infuscata RPPN Frei Caneca, Pernambuco state, Brazil. An endangered endemic restricted to the northeastern remnants of the Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil. (S6)

Slaty Spinetail Synallaxis brachyura chapmani Road to Rio Silanche Bird Sanctuary, Pichincha province, Ecuador. (S8)

Silvery-throated Spinetail Synallaxis subpudica Cerro de Guadalupe, Bogotá Colombia. Endemic to the eastern Andes of Colombia. It is not well named; there is ony a narrow silvery border around its otherwise dark throat. (S5)

Sooty-fronted Spinetail Synallaxis frontalis frontalis Serra do Cipó NP, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Found in lightly wooded areas from central Brazil to northern Argentina. (S5f)

Azara's Spinetail Synallaxis azarae media Reserva Geobotánica Pululahua, Pichincha province, Ecuador. A common inhabitant of Andean cloudforest. (S8)

Dark-breasted Spinetail Synallaxis albigularis albigularis Coca, Orellana, Ecuador (S11)

Spix's Spinetail Synallaxis spixi Vargem Bonita, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. A common and widespread species throughout much of southeastern South America. Some books still call this Chicli Spinetail, a name mistakenly given to the bird many years ago, probably due to confusing its voice with that of Sooty-fronted Spinetail S. frontalis. (D3)

Ruddy Spinetail Synallaxis rutilans caquetensis Yasuní Research Station, Orellana province, Ecuador. This was another incredibly hard bird to photograph. It lives only in the deepest, darkest tangles of the rainforest floor, and it's rare to boot. I did resort to flash on this one, but flash often doesn't work well under these circumstances. There is so much vegetation around that the flash ends up getting blocked by leaves and branches, causing unexpected shadows on the image. But again, there is virtually nothing out there for this species, so here it is. (S6)

Rufous Spinetail Synallaxis unirufa unirufa Chical, Carchi province, Ecuador. A common resident of higher elevation Andean cloudforest. (S7)

Rufous-breasted Spinetail Synallaxis erythrothorax pacific Northeast of Mapastepec, Chiapas state, Mexico. Mexico's only spinetail. (S5)

White-whiskered Spinetail Synallaxis candei candei Los Flamencos, La Guajira, Colombia. A really nice-looking spinetail found in arid habitats in Colombia and Venezuela. The ranges listed for the subspecies appear to be incorrect - this one is clearly candei (with a mostly black throat) even though venezuelensis, with a white throat, is listed for the Guajira peninsula. (S8)

White-lored Spinetail Synallaxis albilora albilora Pousada Piuval, Pantanal, Mato Grosso state, Brazil. This spinetail is nearly endemic to the Pantanal. (S8)

Necklaced Spinetail Synallaxis stictothorax stictothorax El Tambo, Santa Elena province, Ecuador. (S8)

Necklaced (Chinchipe) Spinetail Synallaxis stictothorax chinchipensis Las Juntas, Cajamarca department, Peru. This taxon is endemic to the middle Marañon valley of Northern Peru. Currently lumped by SACC with Necklaced Spinetails of the Tumbesian region (stictothorax & maculata), but differences in voice and disjunct range suggest that it deserves full species status. (S6)

Great Spinetail Synallaxis hypochondriaca San Marcos, Cajamarca department, Peru. Endemic to the upper Marañon valley of Peru, where it is locally common in arid woodland and scrub. (S6)

Red-shouldered Spinetail Synallaxis hellmayri Palmeiras, Bahia state, Brazil. A unique spinetail endemic to the caatinga of NE Brazil. In my experience with it, it's behavior is quite different, being partly terrestrial. (S6)