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. This is a large family containing around 315 species and 70 genera. 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.
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.
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 cladogram below showing the subfamilies of the ovenbirds is based on a molecular genetic study by Carl Oliveros and collaborators published in 2019.[5] The species numbers are from the list maintained by the International Ornithologists' Union (IOC).[6]
FurnariidaeSclerurinae – miners and leaftosser (18 species)
Dendrocolaptinae – woodcreepers (58 species)
Furnariinae – "true" ovenbirds (239 species)
The systematics of the Dendrocolaptinae were reviewed by Raikow (1994)[7] based on morphology and by Irestedt et al. (2004)[8] 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.[9][10]
The taxonomic arrangement presented below is based on molecular genetic studies of ovenbird relationships.[4][11][12][10] 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
Subfamily: Dendrocolaptinae – woodcreepers
Subfamily: Furnariinae – Neotropical ovenbirds and allies
The phylogenetic tree shown below is based on a large-scale genetic 2020 study of the suboscines by Michael Harvey and collaborators. The study found that some of the genera were paraphyletic.[23] Adjustments to the classification have eliminated some of the paraphyly. The tawny tit-spinetail (Leptasthenura yanacencis) has been moved to the genus Sylviorthorhynchus, the sulphur-bearded spinetail (Cranioleuca sulphurifera) has been moved to the genus Limnoctites and its English name changed to the sulphur-bearded reedhaunter, and the white-bellied spinetail (Synallaxis propinque) has been placed in the monotypic genus Mazaria.[6] These changes are included the tree shown below. The remaining paraphyletic genera are flagged in the tree by an asterisk.
In 2009 the large ovenbird family was divided into tribes by Robert Moyle and collaborators. The tribes as defined in the 2009 article do not fit well with the revised taxonomy of Harvey and are not included here. For example, the tribe Furnariini as defined in the 2009 article is not monophyletic in the Harvey taxonomy.[4] The species numbers in the cladogram are from the list maintained by the International Ornithologists' Union (IOC).[6]
FurnariinaeXenops – xenops (3 species)
Berlepschia – point-tailed palmcreeper
Microxenops – rufous-tailed xenops
Pygarrhichas – white-throated treerunner
Ochetorhynchus – earthcreepers and crag chilia (4 species)
Premnoplex – barbtails (2 species)
Margarornis – treerunners (4 species)
Cichlocolaptes – treehunters (2 species)
*Philydor pyrrhodes – cinnamon-rumped foliage-gleaner
*Philydor atricapillus (type of genus) – black-capped foliage-gleaner
Heliobletus – sharp-billed treehunter
*Philydor – foliage-gleaners (2 species?)
Megaxenops – great xenops
Anabacerthia – foliage-gleaners (5 species)
Syndactyla – foliage-gleaners (8 species)
Ancistrops – chestnut-winged hookbill
Dendroma – foliage-gleaners (2 species)
Clibanornis – foliage-gleaners (5 species)
Thripadectes – treehunters (7 species)
Automolus – foliage-gleaners and woodhaunters (10 species)
Tarphonomus – earthcreepers (2 species)
Premnornis – rusty-winged barbtail
Pseudocolaptes – tufted-cheeks (3 species)
Furnarius – horneros (8 species)
Lochmias – sharp-tailed streamcreeper
Limnornis – curve-billed reedhaunter
Phleocryptes – wren-like rushbird
Geocerthia – striated earthcreeper
Upucerthia – earthcreepers (4 species)
Cinclodes – cincloides (15 species)
Aphrastura – rayaditos (2 species)
Sylviorthorhynchus – Des Murs's wiretail and tawny tit-spinetail (2 species)
Leptasthenura – tit-spinetails (9 species)
Phacellodomus – thornbirds (10 species)
Anumbius – firewood-gatherer
Coryphistera – lark-like brushrunner
Hellmayrea – white-browed spinetail
Asthenes – canasteros and thistletails (30 species)
Pseudasthenes – canasteros (4 species)
Synallaxis – spinetails (36 species)
Certhiaxis – spinetails (2 species)
Schoeniophylax – chotoy spinetail
Mazaria – white-bellied spinetail
Spartonoica – bay-capped wren-spinetail
Pseudoseisura – cacholotes (4 species)
Acrobatornis – pink-legged graveteiro
Metopothrix – orange-fronted plushcrown
Xenerpestes – greytails (2 species)
Siptornis – spectacled prickletail
*Cranioleuca gutturata – speckled spinetail
*Thripophaga fusciceps – plain softtail
Roraimia – Roraiman barbtail
*Thripophaga macroura (type) – striated softtail
Limnoctites – reedhaunters (2 species)
*Thripophaga berlepschi – russet-mantled softtail
*Cranioleuca (includes type) – spinetails (19-1=18)
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. This is a large family containing around 315 species and 70 genera. 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.
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. 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.
They are small to medium-sized birds, ranging from 9 to 35 cm in length. 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.
