The Story
This Yellow-chinned Spinetail (Certhiaxis cinnamomeus) was at La Charca de Guarinocito in La Dorada, Caldas, Colombia when I photographed it. The Yellow-chinned Spinetail lives from Trinidad and Colombia south to Argentina and Uruguay. It is a common resident of marshes, mangrove edges and open woodland near rivers. It feeds on insects and spiders, keeping low and often in the open. It builds a large, round stick nest, usually low in marsh vegetation, with an entrance tunnel that rises almost straight up. The Charca de Guarinocito is an old channel of the Magdalena in La Dorada, protected since 1988 and now delimited by Corpocaldas at 167 hectares. IUCN lists the Yellow-chinned Spinetail as Least Concern.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200. In 2025 Corpocaldas zoned the charca for preservation, restoration and sustainable use, recognizing its role in community tourism and artisanal fishing.
©2021 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Yellow-chinned Spinetail (Certhiaxis cinnamomeus) belongs to the family Furnariidae (Ovenbirds and Woodcreepers) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2025). Source: IUCN Red List