Cabanis's spinetail facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cabanis's spinetail |
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Synallaxis
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cabanisi
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The Cabanis's spinetail (Synallaxis cabanisi) is a small bird that belongs to the ovenbird family, called Furnariidae. You can find this bird in parts of South America, specifically in Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru. It's known for its unique calls and for living in dense forest areas.
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About This Bird's Name
Cabanis's spinetail is named after a German bird expert, Jean Louis Cabanis. This bird has two main types, or subspecies: S. c. cabanisi and S. c. fulviventris. Scientists study these differences to understand how bird families are related. For a while, another bird called McConnell's spinetail was thought to be the same species. But now we know they are different!
What Does It Look Like?
Cabanis's spinetail is about 16 to 18 centimeters (6 to 7 inches) long. It weighs between 16 and 24 grams (0.5 to 0.8 ounces). Both male and female birds look very similar.
Its face is mostly a sooty gray-brown color. It has a faint reddish-brown stripe behind its eye. The top of its head and neck are dark reddish-brown. Its back and tail feathers are dark brown.
The wings are mostly reddish-brown with dark brown tips. Its tail is a dull reddish-brown and has pointed feathers. The throat is brownish-gray, with some blackish feathers in the middle. The rest of its underside is brownish-gray, with a slightly lighter belly.
Its eyes are reddish-brown. The top part of its beak is black, and the bottom part is silver or gray. Its legs and feet are olive-gray or yellowish-gray. Young birds have a darker head and more grayish undersides. The S. c. fulviventris subspecies is a bit smaller and has lighter undersides.
Where Does It Live?
Cabanis's spinetail mostly lives in the eastern foothills of the Andes mountains. The S. c. cabanisi subspecies is found in central and southern Peru. It might also be in western Ucayali. The S. c. fulviventris subspecies lives in northern Bolivia. A group of these birds was also found in west-central Brazil in 1997.
This bird likes to live at the edges of forests. It can be found in mountain forests, lowland evergreen forests, and areas where new forests are growing. It especially likes thick bushes and areas with bamboo or cane plants. It usually lives at elevations between 200 and 350 meters (650 to 1,150 feet) above sea level.
How Does It Behave?
Movement
Cabanis's spinetail stays in the same area all year round. It does not migrate to other places.
Feeding
We don't know a lot about what Cabanis's spinetail eats or how it finds food. Scientists think it mainly eats small insects and other creatures. It picks them off leaves and small branches. It usually stays about 1 to 2 meters (3 to 7 feet) above the ground. These birds are often seen in pairs.
Breeding
Currently, scientists do not know much about how Cabanis's spinetail breeds.
Sounds It Makes
The sounds Cabanis's spinetail makes have not been fully studied. Birds in Peru and Bolivia make a low, nasal "nyap" sound. This is probably a call, and their song has not been described yet. Birds in Brazil are said to have a hurried, chattered song that sounds like "tjetjetjetjet--". Their call is a low "zic".
Is It Safe?
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) first said Cabanis's spinetail was "Least Concern" in 2004. This means it was not in danger. Then, in 2012, it was listed as "Near Threatened," meaning it might become endangered soon. But since 2021, it's back to "Least Concern."
Even though it has a large range, we don't know how many of these birds there are. Their numbers are believed to be going down. The biggest danger to this bird is that forests in the Amazon Basin are being cut down. These areas are cleared to make space for cattle farms and other crops. Cabanis's spinetail is not very well known. It is considered "uncommon to fairly common," but it only lives in certain places.
