Rusty-backed Spinetail © flickr.com

Almost certainly the sister-species to Rusty-backed Spinetail (Cranioleuca vulpina). Formerly considered conspecific, but they are locally syntopic and widely sympatric, and field experiments strongly suggest reproductive isolation created by differences in songs. Relationships of the two to congeners uncertain as they differ vocally from all others. Isolated subspecies dissita, with distinctive voice and habitat preferences, may well be a separate species, but no convincing analysis yet published. Amazonian populations vary clinally in coloration of back and underparts.

In northern Brazil, proposed subspecies alopecias (from R Branco) and solimonensis (lower R Solimíµes) described on basis of less rufescent back and more ochraceous underparts, but considered indistinguishable from nominate. Sight records from north-central Bolivia (southern Beni) presumed to be referable to subspecies foxi.

The following 5 subspecies are recognised:

• dissita (Pelzeln, 1856)   -  Coiba I. (Panama).
• apurensis Zimmer, JT & Phelps, 1948   -  Western Venezuela (western Apure).
• vulpina (Pelzeln, 1856)   -  North-eastern Colombia (eastern Boyacá south to Meta and east to Vichada), central and southern Venezuela (Portuguesa, south-western Guárico, eastern Apure, northern Amazonas, and along R Orinoco in Bolí­var east to Delta Amacuro), western Guyana, northern and central Brazil (along R Amazon from extreme western Amazonas, and R Branco and lower R Negro, east to eastern Pará, and from lower R Madeira eastern and south to Mato Grosso, Goiás and western Sío Paulo) and extreme eastern Bolivia (north-eastern Santa Cruz).
• foxi Bond & Meyer de Schauensee, 1940   -  Central Bolivia (eastern Cochabamba; sight records also from southern Beni).
• reiseri (Reichenberger, 1922)   -  North-eastern Brazil (Piauí­, western Pernambuco, western Bahia).

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