Pale-breasted Spinetail (Synallaxis albescens) - HBW 8, p. 278

Taxonomy: Synallaxis albescens Temminck, 1823, Cimeterio do Lambari, near Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
Close relationship to S. albigularis and S. spixi suggested by plumage and vocal similarities. Considered by some authors to be possibly the sister-species of former, which was once regarded as conspecific; proposed race pullata is a synonym of nominate race of that species. Reported vocal differences of race australis suggest that it may be a separate species. Geographical variation tends to follow Gloger’s Rule, with populations from arid areas usually the palest in coloration; some of the described variation, however, probably due to individual and age variation in small sample sizes, and many of the races tentatively recognized (especially those in N South America) are likely to be synonymized once a quantitative analysis of geographical variation is conducted. Proposed race hypoleuca (C Panama), described as paler below, is considered by most authors to be synonymous with latitabunda. Race nesiotis originally described (from Margarita I, off N Venezula) as like nominate but paler, but, with its distribution expanded to include large areas of mainland, its distinguishing characters are unclear; proposed race trinitatis (Trinidad and N Venezuela) said to have darker crown and wing-coverts and more buff-brown back than that race, but these characters not corroborated by subsequent authors. Proposed race griseonota, from confluence of R Tapajós and R Amazon (Brazil), described as having paler crown and wing-coverts and more greyish underparts than inaequalis, but, since latter recorded from both E and W of that area, its acceptance as a valid taxon requires corroboration. Ten subspecies tentatively recognized.