The hornero birds are members of the genus ''Furnarius'' in the family Furnariidae, native to

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...

. Horneros are brown birds with rather short tails and fairly long bills. They are known for building mud nests that resemble old

wood-fired oven upA double oven A ceramic oven An oven is a tool which is used to expose materials to a hot environment. Ovens contain a hollow chamber and provide a means of heating the chamber in a controlled way. In use since antiquity, they have been use ...

s (the Spanish word "hornero" comes from ''horno'', meaning "oven"). These nests have a unique chambered construction. While many Furnariids have different nests, the hornero nest is the reason for the common name applied to the entire

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

; ''ovenbirds'' (though unrelated to the

ovenbird The ovenbird (''Seiurus aurocapilla'') is a small songbird of the New World warbler family (Parulidae). This migratory bird breeds in eastern North America and winters in Central America, many Caribbean islands, Florida and northern Venezuela. ...

, which is a parulid warbler). 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 The bay hornero or pale-billed hornero (''Furnarius torridus'') is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae. It is found in wooded habitats along rivers, mainly in north-eastern Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , ima ...

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 Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth. Terrestrial may also refer to: * Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on or near the ground, as opposed to ...

, and commonly seen walking on the ground with a relatively upright posture. The rufous hornero is a

national emblem A national emblem is an emblem or seal that is reserved for use by a nation state or multi-national state as a symbol of that nation. Many nations have a seal or emblem in addition to a national flag A national flag is a flag that represents ...

of Argentina and Uruguay, two of the several countries it inhabits.

Species

The genus contains eight species: *

Band-tailed hornero The band-tailed hornero (''Furnarius figulus''), also known as wing-banded hornero or tail-banded hornero, is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae, the ovenbirds. It is endemic to Brazil. Its natural habitats include a wide range of wood ...

(''Furnarius figulus'') * Pale-legged hornero (''Furnarius leucopus'') *

Pacific hornero The pale-legged hornero (''Furnarius leucopus'') is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae. It includes the Pacific hornero (''F. leucopus cinnamomeus'') and the Caribbean hornero (''F. leucopus longirostris''), which often are considered s ...

(''Furnarius cinnamomeus'') – split from ''F. leucopus'' *

Caribbean hornero The pale-legged hornero (''Furnarius leucopus'') is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae. It includes the Pacific hornero (''F. leucopus cinnamomeus'') and the Caribbean hornero (''F. leucopus longirostris''), which often are considered s ...

(''Furnarius longirostris'') – split from ''F. leucopus'' * Bay (or pale-billed) hornero (''Furnarius torridus'') *

Lesser hornero The lesser hornero (''Furnarius minor'') 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 onl ...

(''Furnarius minor'') * Rufous hornero (''Furnarius rufus'') *

Crested hornero The crested hornero (''Furnarius cristatus'') is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, o ...

(''Furnarius cristatus'')

Image gallery

File:Furnarius cinnamomeus - Pacific Hornero; Antwerp Zoo.jpg, Pacific hornero File:Hornero's_nest4-01-2011.jpg, Hornero nest

References

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q429074 Birds described in 1816 * Taxa named by Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot