Ovenbirds (Furnariidae)

Spotted Barbtail (Premnoplex brunnescens) - HBW 8, p. 320

French: Anabasitte tachetée German: Westlicher Fleckenstachelschwanz Spanish: Subepalo Moteado

Taxonomy: Margarornis brunnescens P. L. Sclater, 1856, “Bogotá”.
Genus probably closest to Premnornis, and this supported by anatomical data; both genera merged with Margarornis by some authors. Forms a superspecies with P. tatei, and sometimes treated as conspecific. Populations in Trujillo and Barinas (Venezuela) tentatively placed with nominate race; further study required. Proposed Panamanian races albescens (E Darién) and mnionophilus (Cerro Campana) considered indistinguishable from nominate, and distinctus (Veraguas) indistinguishable from brunneicauda. Five subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

brunneicauda (Lawrence, 1865) - mountains of Costa Rica and W Panama (E as far as Veraguas).
brunnescens (P. L. Sclater, 1856) - cerros Tacarcuna, Pirre and Mali and Serranía de Majé (extreme E Panama and NW Colombia), Perijá Mts and Andes of W Venezuela (Trujillo, Barinas, Mérida, Táchira), S (in all three ranges in Colombia, also Macarena Mts, in S Meta) to Ecuador and Peru (S to Cuzco).
coloratus Bangs, 1902 - Santa Marta Mts of N Colombia.

See all 5 subspecies

brunneicauda (Lawrence, 1865) - mountains of Costa Rica and W Panama (E as far as Veraguas).
brunnescens (P. L. Sclater, 1856) - cerros Tacarcuna, Pirre and Mali and Serranía de Majé (extreme E Panama and NW Colombia), Perijá Mts and Andes of W Venezuela (Trujillo, Barinas, Mérida, Táchira), S (in all three ranges in Colombia, also Macarena Mts, in S Meta) to Ecuador and Peru (S to Cuzco).
coloratus Bangs, 1902 - Santa Marta Mts of N Colombia.
rostratus Hellmayr & Seilern, 1912 - coastal mountains of N Venezuela (Lara E to Miranda and Aragua).
stictonotus (Berlepsch, 1901) - Andes from S Peru (Puno) S to W & C Bolivia (S to Cochabamba).