Hornero

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Hornero
Furnarius.jpg
Rufous hornero building a nest in Minas Gerais, Brazil
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Furnariidae
Genus: Furnarius
Vieillot, 1816
Type species
Merops rufus
Gmelin, 1788
Species

See text

The hornero birds are members of the genus Furnarius in the family Furnariidae, native to South America. The English common name appears in many books as "ovenbird". [1] [2]

Contents

Horneros are brown birds with rather short tails and fairly long bills. They are known for building mud nests that resemble old wood-fired ovens (the Spanish word "hornero" comes from horno, meaning "oven"). These nests have a unique chambered construction. [3] While many Furnariids have different nests, the hornero nest is the reason for the common name applied to the entire family; ovenbirds (they are unrelated to the parulid warbler called the ovenbird in the United States). The size and exact shape of the hornero nest varies depending on the species. They generally lay two to four eggs, although the breeding behavior of the bay hornero is virtually unknown.

Adult horneros can frequently be seen sitting on top of their nest. Except for the uncommon and relatively shy bay hornero, horneros are typically fairly common and highly conspicuous birds. They are generally noisy. All horneros are partially terrestrial, and commonly seen walking on the ground with a relatively upright posture.

The rufous hornero is a national emblem of Argentina and Uruguay, two of the several countries it inhabits.

Taxonomy

The genus Furnarius was introduced in 1816 by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot to accommodate a single species, the rufous hornero, which therefore becomes the type species. [4] [5] The genus name is from Latin furnarius meaning "baker" (from furnus meaning "oven"). [6]

The genus contains eight species: [7]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Saltator</i> Genus of birds

Saltator is a genus of passerine birds in the tanager family Thraupidae that are found in Central and South America. They have thick bills, relatively long tails and strong legs and feet. Before the introduction of molecular genetic methods in the 21st century these species were placed in the cardinal family Cardinalidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magpie tanager</span> Species of bird

The magpie tanager is a South American species of tanager. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Cissopis. As suggested by its common name, this blue-black and white species is superficially reminiscent of a European magpie. With a total length of 25–30 cm (9.8–11.8 in), a large percentage of which is tail, it is the longest species of tanager. It weighs 69–76 g (2.4–2.7 oz).

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<i>Synallaxis</i> Genus of birds

Synallaxis is a genus of birds in the ovenbird family, Furnariidae. It is one of the most diverse genera in the family and is composed of small birds that inhabit dense undergrowth across tropical and subtropical habitats in the Neotropical region. Some species show contrasting plumage patterns involving rufous crown and wing patches and black throat patches but they are difficult to see as they keep ensconced in vegetation most of the time. Most species show the long graduated tail with pointy feathers that is typical of spinetails. They are also characterized by constructing large domed nests with stick, including a long entrance tube. Some species can be difficult to distinguish from one another on the basis of their plumage, but can be told apart by their vocalizations, which can be quite distinctive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufous hornero</span> Species of bird

The rufous hornero is a medium-sized ovenbird in the family Furnariidae. It occurs in eastern South America and is the national bird of Argentina. Also known as the red ovenbird, it is common in savannas, second-growth scrub, pastures, and agricultural land and is synanthropic. Its range includes midwestern, southeastern, and southern Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northern and central Argentina, extending as far south as northern Patagonia. The species is most closely related to the crested hornero of Paraguay and Argentina. There are four accepted subspecies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific pygmy owl</span> Species of owl

The Pacific pygmy owl or Peruvian pygmy owl is a small "typical owl" in subfamily Surniinae. It is found in Chile, Ecuador, and Peru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crested hornero</span> Species of bird

The crested hornero is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Band-tailed hornero</span> Species of bird

The band-tailed hornero, also known as wing-banded hornero, is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is endemic to Brazil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pale-legged hornero</span> Species of bird

The pale-legged hornero is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Guyana, and Peru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesser hornero</span> Species of bird

The lesser hornero is a species of bird in the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is closely related to the Pale-legged hornero, and their global distribution overlaps somewhat. This species is monotypic, meaning there is only one subspecies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bay hornero</span> Species of bird

The bay hornero or pale-billed hornero is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Peru, and possibly Eucador.

<i>Grallaria</i> Genus of birds

Grallaria is a large genus of Neotropical birds in the antpitta family Grallariidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaco earthcreeper</span> Species of bird

The Chaco earthcreeper is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay, and as a vagrant in Brazil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific hornero</span> Species of bird

The Pacific hornero is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wood quail</span> Genus of birds

The wood quails are birds in the genus Odontophorus of the New World quail family, which are residents in forests in the Americas. The core range of the genus is centered in the lowlands and foothills of the northern Andes of Colombia and the mountain ranges of Central America; however, some species occur elsewhere in tropical and subtropical South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caribbean hornero</span> Species of bird

The Caribbean hornero is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela.

References

  1. Sclater, Philip Lutley: Argentine ornithology. A descriptive catalogue of the birds of the Argentine Republic 1888 https://archive.org/details/argentineornitho01sclarich/argentineornitho01sclarich/
  2. Gerald Durrell: The whispering land: 1962 : https://archive.org/details/whisperingland0000unse/
  3. Realm of the Rhea. YouTube . Archived from the original on 2021-12-11.
  4. Vieillot, Louis Pierre (1816). Analyse d'une Nouvelle Ornithologie Élémentaire (in French). Paris: Deterville/self. p. 47.
  5. Peters, James Lee, ed. (1951). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 7. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 69.
  6. Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 166. ISBN   978-1-4081-2501-4.
  7. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (January 2023). "Ovenbirds, woodcreepers". IOC World Bird List Version 13.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 6 March 2023.