Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km² combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Population justification
The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is described as 'uncommon and patchily distributed' (Stotz et al. 1996).
The population density and abundance are not well understood and differ between habitat types: The species is considered rare in bamboo stands in the Urubamba region in Peru and Mato Grosso and Acre in Brazil, rare in forests in Ecuador, uncommon in dense vegetation and tangled tree-fall gaps in Pará in Brazil, but common in edge habitat and dense tree-fall gaps in the Brazilian Amazon (Lees and Gallo-Cajiao 2020 and references therein).
Trend justification
The population trend has not been quantified directly, but the population is assessed as being in decline as habitat within its range is lost.
Over the past ten years, 7% of tree cover has been lost within the range; however since 2016 tree cover loss has been increasing to a rate equivalent to 8% over ten years (Global Forest Watch 2021, using Hansen et al. [2013] data and methods disclosed therein). The species is susceptible to forest loss and fragmentation, but appears less sensitive to habitat degradation and disturbance across large parts of the range (Lees and Gallo-Cajiao 2020). It is therefore assumed that population declines are roughly equivalent to the rate of tree cover loss and declines are tentatively placed in the band 1-19% over ten years. Deforestation rates may however vary across the range and proceed at a faster rate, e.g. in the Arc of Deforestation in Brazil (T. Dornas in litt. 2020, Lees and Gallo-Cajiao 2020), and consequently the rate of population decline may locally be higher.
Synallaxis cherriei has three subspecies: the nominate occurs disjunctly in south Amazonian Brazil (Rondônia, Pará, Tocantins and Mato Grosso); equally disjunct populations of the race napoensis are scattered through the Andean foothills in south-east Colombia (Putumayo and Caqueta) and east Ecuador (Sucumbíos, Orellana, west Napo and Pastaza), while saturata is found in east Peru (Amazonas, San Martín, Loreto, Ayacucho, Ucayali, Madre de Dios), adjacent Acre, Brazil, and (presumably this subspecies) Pando, Bolivia (Tobias and Seddon 2006).
This species is found at 200-1,450 m (Ridgely and Tudor 1994, Begazo et al. 2001, Clements and Shany 2001). It is rare to occasionally relatively common, but inexplicably very local, in the undergrowth of secondary woodland and the borders of humid forest. Although no association with bamboo has been observed in Colombia, Ecuador or most of Peru, birds from Alta Floresta (Mato Grosso, Brazil), Cocha Cashu (Manu, Peru) and Pando (Bolivia) are Guadua bamboo specialists (Zimmer et al. 1997, Clements and Shany 2001, Tobias and Seddon 2006).
Relatively extensive deforestation has occurred within its east Ecuador and south-east Colombian range, which is a region threatened by oil exploration and extraction, with resultant habitat degradation and fragmentation from associated road-building (Dinerstein et al. 1995, Stattersfield et al. 1998). In Peru, extensive areas of its habitat are undergoing land clearance, agricultural conversion and logging, the effects of which are amplified by road-building and human colonisation (Dinerstein et al. 1995). In Brazil, nearly 25% of forest cover in Rondônia and Mato Grosso disappeared in 1975-1988, principally as a result of highway construction, with ranching, smallholder agriculture and mining as contributory factors (Cleary 1991).
Conservation Actions Underway
The species is listed as as Data Deficient at the national level in Colombia, as Near Threatened in Peru and as Endangered in Ecuador (Renjifo et al. 2016, SERFOR 2018, Freile et al. 2019).
Conservation Actions Proposed
Conduct further surveys to determine whether this species is genuinely highly localised, or simply overlooked. Conduct ecological studies to determine its precise habitat requirements and tolerance of secondary or fragmented habitats.
Effectively protect significant areas of suitable forest at key sites, in both strictly protected areas and community-led multiple use areas.
Size: 14 cm. Summary: A small, short-billed, short-tailed rufous spinetail. Id: Mainly rich chestnut with olivaceous brown upperparts; wings and belly duskier; throat orange-rufous; tail black. Similar: Only likely to be confused with the more common Ruddy Spinetail S.rutilans which has a black throat patch (can be difficult to see). Hints: Seems to prefer disturbed habitats with Guadua bamboo stands, calls persistently. Voice: A repeated "prrrrr-preéyt".
Text account compilers
Hermes, C.
Contributors
Capper, D., Dornas, T., Gilroy, J., Harding, M., O'Brien, A. & Sharpe, C.J.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Chestnut-throated Spinetail Synallaxis cherriei. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/chestnut-throated-spinetail-synallaxis-cherriei on 23/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/12/2024.