Photo: Basar / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Rusty-headed Spinetail
Synallaxis fuscorufa
Rusty-headed Spinetail (Synallaxis fuscorufa) — 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 Rusty-headed Spinetail (Synallaxis fuscorufa) is a member of the Furnariidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 16 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Furnariidae Ovenbirds
- Genus Synallaxis
- Species fuscorufa
Quick facts
- Weight
- 16 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Furnariidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Rusty-headed Spinetail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Rusty-headed Spinetail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Rusty-headed Spinetail (Synallaxis fuscorufa) is a member of the Furnariidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA n Colombia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 16 g, with a wing length of about 5.6 cm and a tail of around 9 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 5,053 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Rusty-headed Spinetail?
The Rusty-headed Spinetail is a small bird that weighs around 16 g.
Where does the Rusty-headed Spinetail live?
The Rusty-headed Spinetail is found across South America with a range covering SA n Colombia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Rusty-headed Spinetail belong to?
The Rusty-headed Spinetail (Synallaxis fuscorufa) belongs to the Furnariidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Rusty-headed Spinetail eat?
The Rusty-headed Spinetail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Rusty-headed Spinetail migrate?
The Rusty-headed Spinetail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Rusty-headed Spinetail endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
What sound does the Rusty-headed Spinetail make?
1 real field recording of the Rusty-headed Spinetail — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Rusty-headed Spinetail's range?
The Rusty-headed Spinetail has a mapped global range of about 5,053 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.