Photo: Nicolas Huet / Jean Gabriel Prêtre / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Pale-breasted Spinetail
Synallaxis albescens
Pale-breasted Spinetail (Synallaxis albescens) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Pale-breasted Spinetail (Synallaxis albescens) is a member of the Furnariidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 11.2 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 albescens
Quick facts
- Weight
- 11.2 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Furnariidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Pale-breasted Spinetail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Pale-breasted Spinetail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Pale-breasted Spinetail (Synallaxis albescens) belongs to the Furnariidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Costa Rica to c Argentina.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 11.2 g, with a wing length of about 5.4 cm and a tail of around 7.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 9.9 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Pale-breasted Spinetail?
The Pale-breasted Spinetail is a very small bird that weighs around 11.2 g.
Where does the Pale-breasted Spinetail live?
The Pale-breasted Spinetail is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Costa Rica to c Argentina, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Pale-breasted Spinetail belong to?
The Pale-breasted Spinetail (Synallaxis albescens) belongs to the Furnariidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Pale-breasted Spinetail eat?
The Pale-breasted Spinetail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Pale-breasted Spinetail migrate?
The Pale-breasted Spinetail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Pale-breasted 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 Pale-breasted Spinetail make?
1 real field recording of the Pale-breasted 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 Pale-breasted Spinetail's range?
The Pale-breasted Spinetail has a mapped global range of about 9.9 million 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
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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.