Ruddy Spinetail Synallaxis rutilans Scientific name definitions

The exclusively Amazonian-distributed Ruddy Spinetail is represented by no less than seven subspecies across its broad range, which encompasses southern Venezuela south to eastern Peru and northern Bolivia, as well as the Guianas, and much of the Brazilian interior. Some of these described subspecies are now very rare, due to steadily advancing and ongoing forest destruction, especially in the so-called ‘Arc of Deforestation’, and others might be better considered as a separate species; the unusually dark subspecies, S. r. omissa of easternmost Amazonia, fulfils both criteria. However, most subspecies are generally dark rufous with a blackish chin and throat patch, and sometimes becoming darker over the posterior body. The Ruddy Spinetail is a generally uncommon inhabitant of tropical lowland evergreen forest, but only rarely ventures into seasonally flooded areas. The species usually forages alone or in pairs, close to the forest floor, and its furtive and often quiet behavior rarely draw observers’ attention, unless its distinctively nasal kee-kawow vocalization is first heard.

13–14 cm; 15–22 g. Distinctive Synallaxis with plumage mostly chestnut and blackish. Male nominate race has fore­crown and face deep ruddy chestnut, loral region mottled blackish; hindcrown to back chestnut with strong olive-brown wash (especially on hindcrown), rump and uppertail-coverts dull dark brown; wing-coverts mostly chestnut, remiges fuscous with dull chestnut margins; tail long, graduated, 10 rectrices moderately pointed, slaty blackish; throat black, breast bright ruddy chestnut like face, belly and undertail-coverts dark olive-brownish, occasionally faint paler shaft streaks, flanks slightly browner; iris brown to chestnut-red; upper mandible black, lower mandible black, sometimes with grey base, to blue-grey; tarsus and toes olive-grey to dark grey or black (source of variation in bare-part colours unknown, perhaps geographical). Distinguished from similar S. cherriei mainly by dark throat. Female is slightly paler than male, and more washed with olive. Juvenile  is duller, less rufous, than adult, throat grey, vaguely streaked below, especially on belly. Race dissors  differs from nominate mainly in slightly less olivaceous back, interscapular area with little or no chestnut patch, browner scapulars with reduced chestnut area; <em>caquetensis</em> has crown and back mostly rufous-chestnut, flanks and centre of belly olive-tinged fuscous; confinis is generally paler chestnut throughout, lacks traces of olive on nape, has browner outer webs of remiges; <em>amazonica</em> has crown and back  often suffused with brown, rump and uppertail-coverts sooty blackish; tertia differs from previous in having rump and uppertail-coverts brown, instead of sooty blackish; omissa is distinctive in having plumage mostly fuliginous, with rufous only on wings, often rufous wash on breast, remarkably similar to juvenile plumages of other races.

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Most frequent vocalization  a nasal “kéé-kawow” , “tac, tac-owet”, “kít-naaa” or “chíck-dawah”, often doubled, usually repeated at c. 1-second intervals, sometimes for long periods.