Synallaxis erythrothorax
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The rufous-breasted spinetail (Synallaxis erythrothorax) is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. The rufous-breasted spinetail's taxonomy is unsettled.
A study published in 2011 determined that the rufous-breasted spinetail and the white-whiskered spinetail (S. candei) are sister species. This article follows the two-subspecies model. The rufous-breasted spinetail is 13 to 16 cm (5.1 to 6.3 in) long and weighs 15 to 19 g (0.53 to 0.67 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a sepia brown face, crown, nape, back, rump and uppertail coverts. Their wings are chestnut with brown tips on their flight feathers. Their tail is chestnut brown; the feathers... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇧🇿 Belize | |
| 3 | Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 4 | Lago de Yojoa | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 5 | El Triunfo | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-breasted Spinetail sighting in Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park on a given day, based on 36 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 201st most-seen of the 293 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June, August–September and December–January
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-breasted Spinetail in Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–May, July and October–November, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rufous-breasted Spinetail sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Rufous-breasted Spinetail sightings, Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve (Mexico, about 20%) and Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary (Belize, about 10%).
Same family: Furnariidae
The closest relatives of the Rufous-breasted Spinetail that you can see in Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park (family Furnariidae, Ovenbirds and Woodcreepers) are Ivory-billed Woodcreeper (about 20%), Streak-headed Woodcreeper (about 20%) and Northern Barred-Woodcreeper (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Rufous-breasted Spinetail is recorded against all the birds logged in Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park (36 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
