OVENBIRDS   -   FURNARIIDAE

Scaly-throated Leaftosser Sclerurus guatemalensis guatemalensis Soberania NP, Panama province, Panama. Many members of this large family are shy forest-dwellers, hard to see and even harder to photograph. This Scaly-throated Leaftosser is a good example. While this is a poor photo, I've still included it because there really aren't many others out there on the web. The only other one I could find was of a bird in the hand.

Rufous-breasted Leaftosser Sclerurus scansor cearensis Pico Alto, Serra de Baturité, Ceará state, Brazil. This leaftosser, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind sitting totally out in the open and posing for a photo.  This is a distinctive subspecies, likely to be elevated to full species status some day. It lacks the throat streaking of the nominate race, is brighter rufous overall, and has a somewhat different song.

Rufous-breasted Leaftosser Sclerurus scansor cearensis Pico Alto, Serra de Baturité, Ceará state, Brazil. The same bird as in the previous shot, but a front-on view, where the throat is more obvious.

Stout-billed Cinclodes Cinclodes excelsior excelsior Reserva Ecologica Antisana, Napo province, Ecuador. This cinclodes is found only in the high Andes of Ecuador and southern Colombia. The bill is typically longer, thicker, and more decurved than that of the smaller and more common Bar-winged Cinclodes, shown below.

Bar-winged Cinclodes Cinclodes fuscus albidiventris Reserva Ecologica Antisana, Napo province, Ecuador. The most widespread of all the Cinclodes, occuring from Venezuela all the way south to Tierra del Fuego. A good one to learn to compare to the less common species.

Long-tailed Cinclodes Cinclodes pabsti Fields east of São Francisco de Paula, Rio Grande de Sul state, Brazil. A Brazilian endemic, and the only regularly-occurring cinclodes in Brazil. Bar-winged is only a winter visitor to the far south.

White-winged Cinclodes Cinclodes atacamensis atacamensis Tilcara, Jujuy province, Argentina. Sadly this is my only cinclodes shot. This species is always found near streams and rivers.

Lesser Hornero Furnarius minor Island in the Rio Napo near Sacha Lodge, Orellana province, Ecuador. Probably the shyest of all the horneros, I was lucky to get this shot. It is found exclusively on river islands of the Amazon and major tributaries.

Rufous Hornero Furnarius rufus commersoni Pousada Piuval (Pantanal lodge), Mato Grosso state, Brazil. Common and widespread through southeastern South America.

Rufous Hornero Furnarius rufus albogularis Southeast of Sumidouro, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. Hornero nests are instantly recognizable and a familiar sight in open areas throughout much of South America. Hornero literally means "oven-builder" in Spanish.

Curve-billed Reedhaunter Limnornis curvirostris Quinta, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil.

Striolated Tit-Spinetail Leptasthenura striolata Aparados da Serra National Park, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. Another Brazilian endemic, occurring in an inexplicably small area in southern Brazil.

Araucaria Tit-Spinetail Leptasthenura setaria Hotel Veraneio Hampel, São Francisco de Paula, Rio Grande de Sul state, Brazil. A neat little bird that seems to be totally restricted to Araucaria trees; I have never seen one land in any other kind of tree. Almost endemic to Brazil, but it does get into Argentina around Iguazú Falls.

Chotoy Spinetail Schoeniophylax phryganophilus phryganophilus Pantanal Highway, Mato Grosso state, Brazil. A beautiful and unique spinetail in its own monotypic genus. It is found in lightly wooded areas from Bolivia to Uruguay and northern Argentina.

Spix's Spinetail Synallaxis spixi Mucugê, Chapada Diamantina, Bahia state, Brazil. Here at the northern limit of its range. Some books still call this Chicli Spinetail, a name mistakenly given to the bird many years ago, probably due to confusing its voice with that of Sooty-fronted Spinetail (S. frontalis).

Stripe-crowned Spinetail Cranioleuca pyrrhophia pyrrhophia El Tunal, Salta province, Argentina.

Yellow-chinned Spinetail Certhiaxis cinnamomeus russeola Reserva Ecologica de Guapi Assu, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. This one is always found around still water (fresh or salt). The yellow chin is not always obvious in the field.		Striated Softtail Thripophaga macroura Serra do Ouricana (Boa Nova), Bahia State, Brazil. I almost didn't include this, but it's a pretty rare bird. At least the tail shape and color is fairly evident!

Rufous-fronted Thornbird Phacellodomus rufifrons specularis East of São João dos Patos, Maranhão state, Brazil. This race, endemic to NE Brazil, has distinctive rufous patches in the primaries. This particular individual was in bamboo, a habitat I have never seen it in anywhere else in its range.

Lark-like Brushrunner Coryphistera alaudina alaudina San José de las Salinas, Córdoba province, Argentina. A totally unique bird in the Neotropics, and often fun to observe as they are always in groups.

Caatinga Cacholote Pseudoseisura cristata Fazenda Nova Esperança, Canudos-Jeremoaba road, Bahia state, Brazil. Endemic to interior eastern Brazil.

Caatinga Cacholote Pseudoseisura cristata Fazenda Nova Esperança, Canudos-Jeremoaba road, Bahia state, Brazil. The song duet given by pairs of these active and entertaining birds is unforgettable, and one of the most characteristic sounds of the region.

Streak-capped Treehunter Thripadectes virgaticeps virgaticeps Tandayapa Bird Lodge, Pichincha province, Ecuador. 8 Feb 2008. This bird was nesting in a cavity in a road cut at the lodge parking lot. Someone (probably a previous photographer) had stuck a dead branch into the road cut below the nest, and it became the pair's favorite perch.

Chestnut-crowned Foliage-gleaner Automolus rufipileatus consobrinus Tamá NP (Rio Negro sector), Táchira state, Venezuela. Horribly blurry, but to me it is amazing photo nonetheless. While often common, this is a notoriously shy bird that is very hard to see well, let alone photograph (and this was digiscoped!). I could not find any other photos of this bird that were taken in the wild.

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