Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Red-shouldered Spinetail
Synallaxis hellmayri
Red-shouldered Spinetail (Synallaxis hellmayri) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Red-shouldered Spinetail (Synallaxis hellmayri) is a member of the Furnariidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 25.5 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Furnariidae Ovenbirds
- Genus Synallaxis
- Species hellmayri
Quick facts
- Weight
- 25.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Furnariidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Red-shouldered Spinetail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The Red-shouldered Spinetail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Red-shouldered Spinetail (Synallaxis hellmayri) is a species of bird in the Furnariidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA e Brazil.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 25.5 g, with a wing length of about 7 cm and a tail of around 7.4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 25,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Red-shouldered Spinetail?
The Red-shouldered Spinetail is a small bird that weighs around 25.5 g.
Where does the Red-shouldered Spinetail live?
The Red-shouldered Spinetail is found across South America with a range covering SA e Brazil, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Red-shouldered Spinetail belong to?
The Red-shouldered Spinetail (Synallaxis hellmayri) belongs to the Furnariidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Red-shouldered Spinetail eat?
The Red-shouldered Spinetail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Red-shouldered Spinetail migrate?
The Red-shouldered Spinetail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Red-shouldered Spinetail endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Red-shouldered Spinetail make?
1 real field recording of the Red-shouldered Spinetail — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Red-shouldered Spinetail's range?
The Red-shouldered Spinetail has a mapped global range of about 25,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Meet the Furnariidae
A field guide to the Furnariidae family — 321 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.