Hoary-throated Spinetail Synallaxis kollari Poecilurus kollari

Hoary-throated Spinetail Synallaxis kollari
(aka Rio Branco Spinetail, Poecilurus kollari)

Roraima, Brazil
July 2001

The Hoary-throated Spinetail has a very small range along the upper rio Branco and other rivers in the extreme north of Brazil and adjacent Guyana. See the distribution map at Birdlife International. It is classified as Critically Endangered as its habitat is being destroyed for ranching and soya.

Its habitat seems restricted to riverine forest with dense undergrowth and tangly vines although we did find one bird in rather more open, bushy vegetation overhanging marshland.

The only illustration found in 2001 was in Threatened Birds of the World, Page 351.

However, the birds photographed here show some marked differences from this illustration particularly with regard to the distribution of brown and grey on the head.

We believe that the white tail feather on the bird in the first photo is probably due to a lack of pigmentation in the case of this individual.

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