Ovenbird (family)

Ovenbirds or furnariids are a large family of small suboscine passerine birds found from Mexico and Central to southern South America. They form the family Furnariidae. The ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla), which breeds in North America, is not a furnariid – rather it is a distantly related bird of the wood warbler family, Parulidae.

Ovenbirds
Scaly-throated foliage-gleaner (Anabacerthia variegaticeps)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Infraorder:	Tyrannides
Family:	Furnariidae Gray, 1840
Subfamilies
Sclerurinae Dendrocolaptinae Furnariinae

The ovenbirds are a diverse group of insectivores which get their name from the elaborate, vaguely "oven-like" clay nests built by the horneros, although most other ovenbirds build stick nests or nest in tunnels or clefts in rock.[1] The Spanish word for "oven" (horno) gives the horneros their name. Furnariid nests are always constructed with a cover, and up to six pale blue, greenish or white eggs are laid. The eggs hatch after 15 to 22 days, and the young fledge after a further 13 to 20 days.[2]

They are small to medium-sized birds, ranging from 9 to 35 cm in length.[2] While individual species often are habitat specialists, species of this family can be found in virtually any Neotropical habitat, ranging from city parks inhabited by rufous horneros, to tropical Amazonian lowlands by many species of foliage-gleaners, to temperate barren Andean highlands inhabited by several species of miners. Two species, the seaside and the surf cinclodes, are associated with rocky coasts.

Taxonomy and systematics

Recently, the woodcreepers (formerly Dendrocolaptidae) were merged into this family, following analysis of sequences.[3] While confirming the overall phylogenetic pattern, other scientists instead opted for maintaining the woodcreepers as a separate family, while splitting the ovenbirds (as traditionally defined) into two families, Furnariidae and Scleruridae.[4]

The systematics of the Dendrocolaptinae were reviewed by Raikow (1994)[5] based on morphology and by Irestedt et al. (2004)[6] based on analysis of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA. Using the latter approach, the suspected major lineages of the Furnariinae (foliage-gleaners, spinetails, and true ovenbirds) were confirmed, but some new lineages were discovered and the relationships of several genera had to be revised.[7][8]

The taxonomic arrangement presented below is based on recent studies of ovenbird relationships.[4][9][10][8] However, because ovenbirds and woodcreepers are treated here as a single family some taxonomic ranks were modified. For more detail see "List of ovenbird species".

Subfamily: Sclerurinae – miners and leaftossers

• • Genus Geositta – miners (11 species)
  • Genus Sclerurus – leaftossers (7 species)

Subfamily: Dendrocolaptinae – woodcreepers

• Tribe: Sittasomini – "intermediate" woodcreepers [4]
  • Genus Dendrocincla – woodcreepers (6 species)
  • Genus Deconychura – long-tailed woodcreeper
  • Genus Sittasomus – olivaceous woodcreeper
  • Genus Certhiasomus – spot-throated woodcreeper (recently described for Deconychura stictolaema)[11]
• Tribe: Dendrocolaptini – "strong-billed" woodcreepers [4]
  • Genus Glyphorynchus – wedge-billed woodcreeper
  • Genus Nasica – long-billed woodcreeper
  • Genus Dendrexetastes – cinnamon-throated woodcreeper
  • Genus Dendrocolaptes – woodcreepers (5 species)
  • Genus Hylexetastes – woodcreepers (2–4 species)
  • Genus Xiphocolaptes – woodcreepers (4 species)
  • Genus Dendroplex – straight-billed woodcreepers (2 species, formerly in Xiphorhynchus)
  • Genus Xiphorhynchus – woodcreepers (some 12 species, possibly polyphyletic)
  • Genus Lepidocolaptes – narrow-billed woodcreepers (12 species)
  • Genus Drymornis – scimitar-billed woodcreeper
  • Genus Drymotoxeres – greater scythebill[12]
  • Genus Campylorhamphus – scythebills (4 species)

Subfamily: Furnariinae – Neotropical ovenbirds and allies

• Genus: Xenops – xenops (3 species)
• Genus Berlepschia – point-tailed palmcreeper
• Tribe Pygarrhichini[4]
  • Genus Pygarrhichas – white-throated treerunner
  • Genus Microxenops – rufous-tailed xenops[4][13]
  • Genus Ochetorhynchus – earthcreepers (2 species formerly included in Upucerthia)
• Tribe Furnariini – horneros and allies
  • Genus Pseudocolaptes – tuftedcheeks (2 species)
  • Genus Premnornis – rusty-winged barbtail
  • Genus Tarphonomus – (new genus for 2 species formerly included in Upucerthia)[14]
  • Genus Geocerthia – striated earthcreeper (recently described for U. serrrana)[15]
  • Genus Upucerthia – earthcreepers (5 species)
  • Genus Cinclodes – cinclodes (some 12 species)
  • Genus Furnarius – horneros (6 species)
  • Genus Lochmias – sharp-tailed streamcreeper
  • Genus Phleocryptes – wren-like rushbird
  • Genus Limnornis – curve-billed reedhaunter[16]

Rufous hornero (Furnarius rufus) nest, showing the entrance chamber and dividing wall to breeding chamber

• Tribe Philydorini – foliage-gleaners and allies
  • Genus Megaxenops – great xenops
  • Genus Anabazenops – foliage-gleaners (2 species)
  • Genus Ancistrops – chestnut-winged hookbill
  • Genus Cichlocolaptes – (2 species)
  • Genus Heliobletus – sharp-billed treehunter
  • Genus Philydor – foliage-gleaners (5 species)
  • Genus Dendroma – foliage-gleaners (2 species)
  • Genus Anabacerthia – foliage-gleaners (5 species)
  • Genus Syndactyla – foliage-gleaners (8 species)
  • Genus Clibanornis – (5 species)[17]
  • Genus Thripadectes – treehunters (7 species)
  • Genus Automolus – foliage-gleaners (8–9 species)
• Tribe Synallaxini – spinetails and allies
  • Genus Margarornis – treerunners (4 species)
  • Genus Premnoplex – typical barbtails (2 species)
  • Genus Aphrastura – rayaditos (2 species)
  • Genus Hellmayrea – white-browed spinetail
  • Genus Sylviorthorhynchus – (2 species)
  • Genus Leptasthenura – tit-spinetails (9 species)
  • Genus Phacellodomus – thornbirds (9 species)
  • Genus Anumbius – firewood-gatherer
  • Genus Coryphistera – lark-like brushrunner
  • Genus Pseudoseisura – cacholotes (4 species)
  • Genus Pseudasthenes – "false canasteros" (4 species, recently described)[18]
  • Genus Spartonoica – bay-capped wren-spinetail
  • Genus Asthenes – canasteros (30 species)
  • Genus Certhiaxis – spinetails (2 species)
  • Genus Mazaria – white-bellied spinetail
  • Genus Schoeniophylax – chotoy spinetail
  • Genus Synallaxis – spinetails (35 species)
  • Genus Siptornis – spectacled prickletail
  • Genus Metopothrix – orange-fronted plushcrown
  • Genus Xenerpestes – graytails (2 species)
  • Genus Acrobatornis – pink-legged graveteiro
  • Genus Limnoctites – reedhaunters (2 species)
  • Genus Thripophaga – softtails (5 species)
  • Genus Cranioleuca – typical spinetails (c.20 species)
  • Genus Roraimia – Roraiman barbtail

References

1. Remsen, J. V., Jr. 2003. Family Furnariidae (ovenbirds). Pages 162–357 in J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott and D. A. Christie eds. Handbook of the birds of the world, Vol. 8, broadbills to tapaculos. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
2. Willis, Edwin O. (1991). Forshaw, Joseph (ed.). Encyclopaedia of Animals: Birds. London: Merehurst Press. pp. 162–163. ISBN 978-1-85391-186-6.
3. Irestedt, Martin; Fjeldså, Jon; Johansson, Ulf S. & Ericson, Per G.P. (2002). "Systematic relationships and biogeography of the tracheophone suboscines (Aves: Passeriformes)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 23 (3): 499–512. doi:10.1016/S1055-7903(02)00034-9. PMID 12099801.
4. Moyle, R. G.; R. T. Chesser; R. T. Brumfield; J. G. Tello; D. J. Marchese & J. Cracraft (2009). "Phylogeny and phylogenetic classification of the antbirds, ovenbirds, woodcreepers, and allies (Aves: Passeriformes: infraorder Furnariides)". Cladistics. 25 (4): 386–405. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.581.630. doi:10.1111/j.1096-0031.2009.00259.x.
5. Raikow, Robert J. (1994). "A phylogeny of the woodcreepers (Dendrocolaptinae)" (PDF). Auk. 111 (1): 104–114. doi:10.2307/4088509. JSTOR 4088509.
6. Irestedt, Martin; Fjeldså, Jon & Ericson, Per G. P. (2004). "Phylogenetic relationships of woodcreepers (Aves: Dendrocolaptinae) – incongruence between molecular and morphological data". Journal of Avian Biology. 35 (3): 280–288. doi:10.1111/j.0908-8857.2004.03234.x.
7. Fjeldså, Jon; Irestedt, Martin & Ericson, Per G. P. (2005). "Molecular data reveal some major adaptational shifts in the early evolution of the most diverse avian family, the Furnariidae" (PDF). Journal of Ornithology. 146: 1–13. doi:10.1007/s10336-004-0054-5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-11-10. Retrieved 2006-09-05.
8. Derryberry, Elizabeth P.; Claramunt, Santiago; Derryberry, Graham; Chesser, R. Terry; Cracraft, Joel; Aleixo, Alexandre; Pérez-Emán, Jorge; Remsen Jr., J. V.; Brumfield, Robb T. (2011). "Lineage diversification and morphological evolution in a large-scale continental radiation: the Neotropical ovenbirds and woodcreepers (Aves: Furnariidae)". Evolution. 65 (10): 2973–2986. doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.2011.01374.x. ISSN 0014-3820. PMID 21967436.
9. Irestedt, M.; J. Fjeldså & P. G. P. Ericson (2006). "Evolution of the ovenbird-woodcreeper assemblage (Aves: Furnariidae): major shifts in nest architecture and adaptive radiation". J. Avian Biol. 37 (3): 260–272. doi:10.1111/j.2006.0908-8857.03612.x.
10. Chesser, R. T.; Barker, F. K. & Brumfield, R. T. (2007). "Fourfold polyphyly of the genus formerly known as Upucerthia, with notes on the systematics and evolution of the avian subfamily Furnariinae". Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 44 (3): 1320–1332. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2007.04.014. PMID 17632018.
11. Derryberry, E.; S. Claramunt; R. T. Chesser; A. Aleixo; J. Cracraft; R. G. Moyle & R. T. Brumfield (2010). "Certhiasomus, a new genus of woodcreeper (Aves: Passeriformes: Dendrocolaptidae)" (PDF). Zootaxa. 2416: 44–50. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2416.1.2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-06-27. Retrieved 2013-03-29.
12. Claramunt, S.; E. P. Derryberry; R. T. Chesser; A. Aleixo & R. T. Brumfield (2010). "Polyphyly of Campylorhamphus with the description of a new genus for C. pucherani". Auk. 127 (2): 430–439. doi:10.1525/auk.2009.09022.
13. The correct genus for former Xenops milleri
14. Chesser, R. T. & R. T. Brumfield (2007). "Tarphonomus, a new genus of ovenbird (Aves: Passeriformes: Furnariidae) from South America". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 120 (3): 337–339. doi:10.2988/0006-324X(2007)120[337:TANGOO]2.0.CO;2.
15. Chesser, R. T.; S. Claramunt; E. P. Derryberry & R. T. Brumfield (2009). "Geocerthia, a new genus of terrestrial ovenbird (Aves: Passeriformes: Furnariidae)". Zootaxa. 2213: 64–68.
16. Olson, S. L.; Irestedt, M.; Ericson, P. G. P. & Fjeldså, J. (2005). "Independent evolution of two Darwinian marsh-dwelling ovenbirds (Furnariidae: Limnornis, Limnoctites)" (PDF). Ornitologia Neotropical 16: 347–359. hdl:10088/1568.
17. Claramunt, Santiago; Derryberry, Elizabeth P.; Cadena, Carlos Daniel; Cuervo, Andrés M.; Sanín, Camilo; Brumfield, Robb T. (2013). "Phylogeny and classification of Automolus foliage-gleaners and allies (Furnariidae)". The Condor. 115 (2): 375–385. doi:10.1525/cond.2013.110198. ISSN 0010-5422.
18. Derryberry, E.; S. Claramunt; K. E. O'Quin; A. Aleixo; R. T. Chesser; J. V. Remsen Jr. & R. T. Brumfield (2010). "Pseudasthenes, a new genus of ovenbird (Aves: Passeriformes: Furnariidae)" (PDF). Zootaxa. 2416: 61–68. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2416.1.4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-06-27.

Further reading

• Cheviron, Z. A.; Capparella, Angelo P.; Vuilleumier, François (2005). "Molecular phylogenetic relationships among the Geositta miners (Furnariidae) and biogeographic implications for avian speciation in Fuego-Patagonia". Auk. 122 (1): 158–174. doi:10.1642/0004-8038(2005)122[0158:MPRATG]2.0.CO;2.

External links

• Ovenbird videos on the Internet Bird Collection
• Ovenbird sounds in the xeno-canto collection
• A classification of the bird species of South America (Part 6) (SACC)