Xenops
Encyclopedia
Xenops is a genus
in the bird family Furnariidae, the ovenbird
s. They are found in Mexico
, Central America
and South America
.
They are small birds with a longish tail, a laterally flattened bill with an upturned tip (except in the Slender-billed Xenops), brown back and buff or rufous wing stripe. They forage for insect
s on bark, rotting stumps or bare twigs, moving mechanically in all directions on the trunk like a woodcreeper
, but without using the tail as a prop.
Together with the distinct Great Xenops
(Megaxenops parnaguae), this genus forms the tribe
Xenopini, which based on some recent studies belongs in the woodcreeper and xenops subfamily Dendrocolaptinae, while others have found them to be part of the "traditional" ovenbirds. The Rufous-tailed Xenops present a special problem: At present it is maintained in this genus, but it clearly belongs somewhere else.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
in the bird family Furnariidae, the ovenbird
Ovenbird (family)
Ovenbirds or furnariids are a large family of small suboscine passerine birds found in Mexico, and Central and South America. They form the family Furnariidae...
s. They are found in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
They are small birds with a longish tail, a laterally flattened bill with an upturned tip (except in the Slender-billed Xenops), brown back and buff or rufous wing stripe. They forage for insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s on bark, rotting stumps or bare twigs, moving mechanically in all directions on the trunk like a woodcreeper
Woodcreeper
The woodcreepers comprise a subfamily of sub-oscine passerine birds endemic to the Neotropics. They have traditionally been considered a distinct family Dendrocolaptidae, but most authorities now place them as a subfamily of the ovenbirds...
, but without using the tail as a prop.
Together with the distinct Great Xenops
Great Xenops
The Great Xenops, Megaxenops parnaguae, is a Furnariid bird, which is endemic to the Caatinga region of north-eastern Brazil. It is monotypic within the genus Megaxenops....
(Megaxenops parnaguae), this genus forms the tribe
Tribe (biology)
In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic rank between family and genus. It is sometimes subdivided into subtribes.Some examples include the tribes: Canini, Acalypheae, Hominini, Bombini, and Antidesmeae.-See also:* Biological classification* Rank...
Xenopini, which based on some recent studies belongs in the woodcreeper and xenops subfamily Dendrocolaptinae, while others have found them to be part of the "traditional" ovenbirds. The Rufous-tailed Xenops present a special problem: At present it is maintained in this genus, but it clearly belongs somewhere else.
Species
- Rufous-tailed XenopsRufous-tailed XenopsThe Rufous-tailed Xenops is a species of bird in the Furnariidae family. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela....
, Xenops milleri - Slender-billed XenopsSlender-billed XenopsThe Slender-billed Xenops is a species of bird in the Furnariidae family.It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela....
, Xenops tenuirostris - Plain XenopsPlain XenopsThe Plain Xenops, Xenops minutus, is a passerine bird which breeds in moist lowland forests in the tropical New World from southern Mexico south to western Ecuador, northeastern Argentina and central Brazil....
, Xenops minutus - Streaked XenopsStreaked XenopsThe Streaked Xenops, Xenops rutilans, is a passerine bird which breeds in the tropical New World from Costa Rica and Trinidad south to Bolivia and northern Argentina...
, Xenops rutilans