CACrown ArchivesThe cinema collection
Menu
Research dossier · Science & Nature

Rufous-breasted spinetail

species of bird

Specimen drawers, botanical folios and brass scientific instruments under study light
Science and natureInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionMay 21, 2026
Entity authorityQ1274827 ↗
Source-derived summary

The rufous-breasted spinetail (Synallaxis erythrothorax) is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.

Taxonomy and systematics

The rufous-breasted spinetail's taxonomy is unsettled. The International Ornithological Committee and BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World assign it two subspecies, the nominate S. e. erythrothorax (Sclater, PL, 1855) and S. e. pacifica (Griscom, 1930). The Clements taxonomy adds a third, S. e. furtiva (Bangs & Peters, 1927), that the other two systems include within the nominate.

A study published in 2011 determined that the rufous-breasted spinetail and the white-whiskered spinetail (S. candei) are sister species.

This article follows the two-subspecies model.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Rufous-breasted spinetail” as species of bird. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Rufous-breasted, spinetail and species.

Editorial reviewA practical orientation to terminology and classification, particularly when read beside dated observations, specimens or technical literature. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1855, 1930, 1927, 2011—that can be checked directly. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Rufous-breasted, spinetail and species providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Rufous-breasted spinetail”, the useful work is to connect “species of bird” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 21, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1274827. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1855, 1930, 1927 and 2011.

Critical limits

A general summary may omit uncertainty, sample limits or methodological disagreement that is explicit in the technical record. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.

Best used for
  • Current terminology
  • Classification context
  • Finding cited technical literature
Verify next

Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Rufous-breasted spinetail”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Rufous-breasted spinetail primary sources, Rufous-breasted spinetail archive and Rufous-breasted research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Rufous-breasted spinetail”?
  2. Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
  3. Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
Subject index

Search terms from this dossier

Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Rufous-breasted spinetail” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.