Rufous-capped Spinetail

Rufous-capped Spinetail

Synallaxis ruficapilla

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Belo Horizonte

In 3 days <5%

11 Verified sightings at Belo Horizonte
991 In all 4 parks From 2019 to 2026
May Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Rufous-capped Spinetail

The rufous-capped spinetail (Synallaxis ruficapilla) is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. The rufous-capped spinetail is monotypic.

What is now Pinto's spinetail (S. infuscata) was previous treated as a subspecies of it. What is now the Bahia spinetail (S. cinerea, previously S. whitneyi) was treated as a conspecific population of the rufous-capped and data both support and refute that treatment. As of late 2023 major taxonomic systems treat the Bahia spinetail as a full species.

The rufous-capped spinetail is 13 to 17 cm (5.1 to 6.7 in) long and weighs 12 to 16 g (0.42 to 0.56 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a wide buff supercilium and dark brownish gray lores and ear coverts. Their crown and nape are bright orange-rufous and their back, rump, and uppertail coverts are rufescent brown. Their wings are mostly chestnut-brown. Their tail is chestnut; it is graduated and the feathers have pointed tips. Their chin has a tiny tawny spot; the rest of their chin and throat are whitish with faint gray streaks. Their upper breast... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:54

Brazil · 2026

© JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA · XC1150314 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:10

Argentina · 2026

© Marcos E. Sosa · XC1135503 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Recording0:29

Paraguay · 2023

© Guillermo Menéndez (gmmv80) · XC902466 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Itatiaia National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~40%
2 Serra dos Órgãos National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
3 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
4 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Curitiba 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
2 São Paulo 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
3 Belo Horizonte 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Rufous-capped Spinetail in Belo Horizonte?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-capped Spinetail sighting in Belo Horizonte on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 175th most-seen of the 220 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Rufous-capped Spinetail in Belo Horizonte?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-capped Spinetail in Belo Horizonte on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Rufous-capped Spinetail?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rufous-capped 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.

Is Belo Horizonte the best place to see a Rufous-capped Spinetail?

3rd of 3

Of the 3 cities where we can rate Rufous-capped Spinetail sightings, Belo Horizonte ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Curitiba (Brazil, about 10%) and São Paulo (Brazil, under 5%).

Where does the Rufous-capped Spinetail sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Rufous-capped Spinetail is recorded against all the birds logged in Belo Horizonte (11 verified sightings), 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.

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