Bulletin 442 - Brazil 2025 #1 - Funarids (Ovenbirds)

The Atlantic Forest is a unique ecosystem from sea level to about 1 mile elevation. It contains 800 species of birds (225 endemic) and 26 species of primates. Unfortunately it also contains 2 mega cities - Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and the resulting sprawl and clearing for agriculture since the Portuguese arrived 500 years ago, has wiped out 90%+ of the original forest. About 250 species of amphibians, birds and mammals have gone extinct in the past 400 years. The good news is that many preserves and parks have been set aside to try and preserve the remaining biodiversity. Many of the birds have wide distribution, but others are restricted toa tiny area of original forest usually above 2500 foot elevation. The Birds of Brazil guide book by Ber Van Perlo was published in 2009. He gives the chances of seeing the birds and many are listed as R - meaning rare with a negligible chance of finding them. However with the excellent guide (Alex Mesquita) and going point to point where the reported sightings have recently occurred, we saw many of them. We drove over 2000 miles in the 2 weeks to see as many of these rarities as well as the more common birds. I will indicate the R species.

In 2023 I visited the southern part of this area. In 2025 I visited the northern part. Some of the photos will be ones I had not sent for the 2023 trip.

The funarids are mostly rufous birds and sexes usually have the same plumage.

The 7" Araucaria Tit-Spinetail (Leptashenura setaria) has a streaked head and long tail. It is confined to araucaria trees. R

Araucaria Tit-Spinetail

The 5.5" Ochre-cheeked Spinetail (Synallaxis scutata) has a white throat and thin black line below the white. The yellowish cheek patch helps with the ID.

Ochre-cheeked Spinetail

The 6" Pale-breasted Spinetail (Synallaxis albescens) has a rufous cap and shoulders. The underparts are almost white.

Pale-breasted Spinetail

The 6" Rufous-capped Spinetail (Synallaxis ruficapilla) has a rufous crown, wings and tail with gray underside and a white eyebrow.

Rufous-capped Spinetail

The 6" Sooty-fronted Spinetail (Synallaxis frontalis) is mostly grayish with the rufous cap, wings and tail. He has also  a gray forehead.

Sooty-fronted Spinetail

The 6" Pallid Spinetail (Cranioleuca demissa) has a rufous cap, wings and tail. There is a white eyebrow that is diagnostic but not seen in this photo.

Pallid Spinetail

The 6.3" White-lored Spinetail (Cranioleuca albilora) is rufous with a gray head and white lores.

White-lored Spinetail

The 6" Yellow-chinned Spinetail (Certhiaxis cinnamomeus) ia another bird named for a field mark that usually cannot been seen in the field.It is bicolored - rufous above and white below.

Yellow-chinned Spinetail

The 4.7" Atlantic Plain Xenops (Xenops minutis) is a recent split of Plain Xenops. It is a cute flat headed rufous bird with a short yolleow slightly upturned bill.

Atlantic Plain Xenops

The 6.3" Great Xenops (Megaxenops parnaguae) is a rufous bird with a white throat and the same yellow up turned bill. The guide warned us that this bird is very difficult to see and photo. However, with my uncanny luck, the bird showed up immediately and posed for photos in the open. After we had good photos, we walked another 20 yards down the trail and the bird flew and landed beside us again. The guide said this was the best photo he ever got of this bird.

Great Xenops

I put the different bird/mammal families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 74 of the 321 species of ovenbirds

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2025 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.

Bulletin 441 - Brazil 2023 #22 - Funarids (Ovenbirds) part 2

 After 3 trips to Colombia with diminishing returns, it was time to go further afield. Pablo Flores the guide in Colombia is now leading trips to Brazil as well. So my birding buddy Martin Jackson and my daughter Chantel and I decided to go there. We visited the Pantanal, the Atlantic forest in the Sao Paulo area and had 1 day in the Chapada. The Pantanal is the largest wetland in the world, so it is teeming with wildlife. The Atlantic Forest is a unique ecosystem from sea level to about 1 mile elevation. It contains 800 species of birds (225 endemic) and 26 species of primates. Unfortunately it also contains 2 mega cities - Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and the resulting sprawl and clearing for agriculture since the Portuguese arrived 500 years ago, has wiped out 90%+ of the original forest. About 250 species of amphibians, birds and mammals have gone extinct in the past 400 years. The good news is that many preserves and parks have been set aside to try and preserve the remaining biodiversity.

The funarids or ovenbirds are a huge family of birds in the New World. Most are hard to photograph in the dense jungle, but here in the Pantanal and southeastern Brazil, the forest was more open. Thus I had a record of 23 new species photographed for the trip. We already saw the woodcreepers in Bulletin #16.

The spinetails for me are difficult to see well and get a photo. The 6.25" Rufous-capped Spinetail (Synallaxis ruficapilla) is easy to ID if you can see him. He has a reddish cap and a black line through the eye.

Rufous-capped Spinetail

His cousin, the 6.25" White-lored Spinetail (Synallaxis albilora) has a rufous body and wings and a gray head. There is a tiny white spot between the eye and the beak.

White-lored Spinetail

The 5.5" Pallid Spinetail (Cranioleuca pallida) is a Brazil endemic. This is a forest species with a rusty cap, wings and tail. 

The 6" Yellow-chinned Spinetail (Certhiaxis cinnamomeus) is a spinetail of marshy areas. It has rufous wings and tail and a rufous cap. It is pale on the back and underside with a yellow chin spot. Like the bird above, the named feature of the bird is never seen in the field so need ID by voice.

Yellow-chinned Spinetail

The 6.75" Arucaria Tit-Spinetail (Leptasthenura setaria) occurs in the mountains in the arucaria pine forests. He is grayish with a streaked head and a long rufous forked tail. The arucaria trees were prehistoric looking.

Arucaria Tit-Spinetail

The horneros are easier to see as many forage on the ground. The 7" Rufous Hornero (Funarius rufus) is overall plain rufous.

Rufous Hornero

His cousin, the 6.5" Pale-legged Hornero (Funarius leucopis) is more intese rufous on the body, with a gray head and obvious white eye stripe.

Pale-legged Hornero

Lastly is the 6.5" Band-tailed Hornero (Funarius figulus). He is similar to the previous one but he has a rufous cap. He is another Brazil endemic bird.

Band-tailed Hornero

I put the different bird/mammal families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 66 of the 315 species of ovenbirds

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2025 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.