Synallaxis cinerea
The Bahia Spinetail (Synallaxis cinerea) is a diminutive and exceptionally rare Neotropical passerine, measuring approximately 15-16 cm in length and weighing around 12-15 grams, characterized by its overall dull greyish-brown plumage. Key identification marks include a striking rufous crown and a prominent black throat patch, contrasting with its otherwise somber coloration. Its most distinctive feature is a long, graduated tail, which is often fanned or cocked. Taxonomically, it belongs to ...
This highly specialized species inhabits dense, humid undergrowth of lowland evergreen forests, particularly in areas with tangled vines and thickets, typically found at elevations from sea level up to 150 meters.
The diet consists mainly of small insects and other arthropods, which it gleans from foliage and low branches within dense undergrowth.
The Bahia Spinetail is a notoriously secretive and skulking bird, active during daylight hours and almost exclusively found in dense vegetation, often only detected by its distinctive vocalizations rather than sight. It forages primarily by gleaning insects and small arthropods from leaves, twigs...
The Bahia Spinetail boasts an extraordinarily restricted geographic distribution, confined exclusively to a small region within the state of Bahia, Brazil. Its entire known breeding and year-round range is limited to a few fragmented lowland forest patches, primarily concentrated near the municip...
Critically Endangered
- The Bahia Spinetail is one of the most critically endangered bird species globally, with an estimated population of fewer than 250 mature individuals. - It was only formally described as a new species to science in 1995, despite specimens having been collected earlier in the 20th century. - Its...