Synallaxis ruficapilla
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
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 →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Itatiaia National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Serra dos Órgãos National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Iguazú National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 4 | Iguaçu National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Curitiba | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | São Paulo | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Belo Horizonte | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-capped Spinetail sighting in Iguazú National Park on a given day, based on 126 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 205th most-seen of the 343 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-capped Spinetail in Iguazú National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June to April, the lowest months.
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.
3rd of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Rufous-capped Spinetail sightings, Iguazú National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Itatiaia National Park (Brazil, about 40%) and Serra dos Órgãos National Park (Brazil, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Rufous-capped Spinetail is recorded against all the birds logged in Iguazú National Park (126 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.
