Ochre-cheeked Spinetail Synallaxis scutata Scientific name definitions

Along with the White-whiskered Spinetail (Synallaxis candei) and the Hoary-throated Spinetail (Synallaxis kollari), the Ochre-cheeked Spinetail is sometimes placed in the genus Poecilurus, which to some extent are united by their having relatively conspicuously marked face patterns. This species is the southernmost ranging of the three, being distributed in deciduous and semi-deciduous forests from the caatingas of northeast Brazil south and west to southern Brazil, southeast Bolivia, and northwest Argentina. The Ochre-cheeked Spinetail probably maintains a year-round territory, but can be very quiet and unobtrusive during the non-breeding season, which is generally assumed to be the austral autumn–winter or the dry season, depending on geographical location. It is an attractive spinetail, with reddish-brown upperparts, a dark grayish crown, white supercilium, white throat defined by a black bar at its lower edge, and buff ear coverts.

13–14 cm; 12–19 g. Nominate race  has broad, conspicuous whitish supercilia almost meeting across forehead, where more buffy, blackish loral region mixed with whitish, weakly defined dull dark brownish postocular streak, ochraceous buff auri­culars and rear malar area; narrow forehead spot blackish, blending to dull greyish-brown crown to upper back; rest of back dark rufous, becoming increasingly greyish-brown (reddish area contracting) from NE to SW; wings  dark rufous, except for dark brownish lesser coverts and primary tips; uppertail-coverts and graduated tail rufous  , 10 rectrices slightly pointed, with short “spines”; throat white, black crescent-shaped patch  on lower throat; rather dull pinkish-brown to pale ochraceous buff below, blending to paler belly with white in centre, underparts becoming increasingly ochraceous from NE to SW; iris dark chestnut to reddish-brown or brown; upper mandible black to dark grey, lower mandible grey to blue-grey, sometimes with dark tip; tarsus and toes greenish-grey to yellowish-olive. Sexes alike. Juvenile has faint darker scalloping on breast. Race whitii differs from nominate in having back to uppertail-coverts uniform brown without any rufous suffusion, wings and tail darker rufous, face and underparts slightly deeper ochraceous.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Arthropods; recorded dietary items include Orthoptera and Hymenoptera. Usually forages in pairs, occasionally in mixed-species flocks. Gleans food items mainly from ground .

Song a shrill “tweet, to-wéét”  , often repeated for long periods.