The typical spinetails, Cranioleuca, are a genus of Neotropical birds in the ovenbird family Furnariidae.
This is a homogeneous group of small birds that live in forested habitats. The spinetails in this genus differ from those placed in Synallaxis in having shorter tails and being more arboreal. They are less vocal and more frequently join mixed flocks.
Taxonomy and species list The genus Cranioleuca was introduced in 1853 by the German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach with the light-crowned spinetail as the type species. The name combines the Ancient Greek kranion meaning "skull" with leukos meaning "white".
The genus contains 20 species:
Image Scientific name Common name Distribution Cranioleuca berlepschi Russet-mantled softtail northern Peru Cranioleuca weskei Vilcabamba spinetail southern Peru Cranioleuca marcapatae Marcapata spinetail southern Peru Cranioleuca albiceps Light-crowned spinetail southeastern Peru and Bolivia Cranioleuca vulpina Rusty-backed spinetail Colombia, Venezuela, riverine Amazonia and Brazil Cranioleuca dissita Coiba spinetail Coiba Island Cranioleuca vulpecula Parker's spinetail riverine Amazonia Cranioleuca subcristata Crested spinetail northern Colombia and Venezuela Cranioleuca pyrrhophia Stripe-crowned spinetail southern Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay Cranioleuca henricae Bolivian spinetail western Bolivia Cranioleuca obsoleta Olive spinetail South Region, eastern Paraguay and selva misionera Cranioleuca pallida Pallid spinetail eastern Brazil Cranioleuca semicinerea Grey-headed spinetail northeastern Brazil Cranioleuca albicapilla Creamy-crested spinetail southern Peru Cranioleuca erythrops Red-faced spinetail Talamancan montane forestsand Andes of Colombia and Ecuador Cranioleuca demissa Tepui spinetail tepuis Cranioleuca hellmayri Streak-capped spinetail sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Cranioleuca curtata Ash-browed spinetail northern Andes Cranioleuca antisiensis Line-cheeked spinetail southern Ecuador and Peru Cranioleuca muelleri Scaled spinetail lower Amazon river
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