Xenops A Xenops is from the South American bird family Furnariidae, known as the ovenbirds. 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. They forage for insects 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. The Plain Xenops (Xenops minutus) is a small, solitary rain forest bird. It is found from southern Mexico down to northern Argentina at altitudes from sea level up to 5,000 feet. Xenops roosts in tree holes and has a fast, sharp-sounding song. There are other species of Xenops. The Plain Xenops is about 5 inches (12.5 cm) long. Unlike other types of Xenops, its back is deep brown and unstreaked. The wing and tail feathers are mostly cinnamon-coloured. There is a pale stripe above and behind the eyes. Its underbelly is olive-coloured and it has grey legs. The bill is dark, short, and pointed. Xenops eats insects (especially ants) and their larvae. It gets its food by hammering open decaying branches with its bill; it then eats the insects that inhabit the wood. The Xenops" nest is a hole in a decaying tree that is lined with grass and other plant material. Both parents help to construct the nest. Females lay 2 glossy-white eggs in each clutch (a set of eggs laid at one time). Both parents incubate the eggs, which hatch in about 16 days. The 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. It is a member of the South American bird family Furnariidae. The Streaked Xenops is typically 12.2 cm long, weighs 12.6 g, and has a stubby wedge-shaped bill. The head is dark brown with a whitish supercilium and malar stripe. The upperparts are brown, becoming rufous on the tail and rump, and there is a buff bar on the darker brown wings. The underparts are white-streaked olive brown. Sexes are similar. Visually inconspicuous, it is easier located by its chattering call, a series of 5 or 6 metallic zeet notes. It is found in wet forests in foothills and mountains. The Streaked Xenops is often difficult to see as it forages on bark, rotting stumps or bare twigs. It feeds on arthropods, including the larvae of wood-boring beetles. It moves in all directions on the trunk like a treecreeper, but does not use its tail as a prop. It regularly joins mixed-species feeding flocks. The Streaked Xenops builds its nest by simply placing a few stems and roots in a hole 1.5-4.5 m high in a tree. The normal clutch is two white eggs, incubated by both sexes. This species is a resident breeder in forest habitats. |
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