McConnell's Spinetail
Synallaxis macconnelli
Dark, long-tailed, sparrow-sized bird of dense thickets. Body plumage is mostly dark gray with a bright rufous cap and wings. An uncommon and patchily distributed resident of tepui slopes and lowland forest; often found near large rock formations and in old disturbed areas in rainforest. Stays close to the ground, rarely emerging from dense cover. Occurs in pairs or small family groups that forage unobtrusively for insects and do not follow mixed-species flocks. Voice is only audible at close range but is usually the first indication of this bird’s presence: it is a low, gravelly note, given repeatedly and irregularly, often sped into a rolling churr. Pale-breasted Spinetail has a similar plumage pattern, but McConnell’s is much darker and occupies forested habitats that Pale-breasted avoids.
Identification
McConnell's spinetail (Synallaxis macconnelli) is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Taxonomy
Genus: Synallaxis; Family: Furnariidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Synallaxis macconnelli
- Authority
- Chubb, C, 1919
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Furnariidae
- Genus
- Synallaxis
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Red-billed Firefinch
Lagonosticta senegala
The combination of a red bill, yellow-green eye-ring, and brown (not black) undertail are characteristic of this firefinch. The male has a pink face, crown, and underparts, while the female is mostly brown with a small pink patch between the eye and bill and a pink upper tail. Pairs and small flocks are resident in a variety of grassy savanna habitats and in cultivation, where they feed on the ground for seeds and fly into trees when disturbed. The species may join mixed-species flocks and often drinks or bathes. It gives a melodic “swee-tee-eeer” song and a spitting, tinny “prrrrrt” call. The Bar-breasted Firefinch is very similar to the Red-billed Firefinch, but has a brown (not reddish) crown; the Brown Firefinch has a brown rump.
Red-chested Buttonquail
Turnix pyrrhothorax
Small, dark, secretive buttonquail with pale eye, found in dense grassland habitats, where most commonly observed exploding from cover and flying rapidly away. In flight, note the fairly uniformly dark upperparts, with less contrast between flight feathers and coverts than in most other buttonquail. Adult female has rich rusty-orange chest; male paler, with white chin. Call is a repeated "oom-oom-oom-oom," with end of each note ascending in pitch.
Black-breasted Myzomela
Myzomela vulnerata
A distinctive small black, white, and red honeyeater with a downcurved bill. Jet black with diagnostic red patches on rear crown, throat, and rump, as well as a clean white belly. The black areas are gray on juveniles. Singles or pairs found in forest, forest edge, and scrub within the lowlands and foothills on Timor. Unmistakable in its limited range. Simple, very high-pitched song consists of rapid-fire notes, “si-si-si-si-si-si-si”; also gives “zit” call notes.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.