XENOPS is a genus in the bird family Fumarlidae, the ovenbirds. They are found in Mexico, Central America and South America and tropical rain forest.
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 insects on bark, rotting stumps or bare twigs, moving mechanically in all directions on the trunk like a woodpecker. 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 sub-family Dendrocolaptinae, while others have found them to be part of the 'traditional' ovenbirds. (As long as these little birds know who they are I am sure they don't argue about who's who!!).
He looks a lot like a sparrow, but more colourful and of course the beak is different.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have sparrows in Western Australia so don't really know what they look like. I was surprised to find a bird beginning with the letter X.
DeleteOh it is a very pretty bird. Hug B
ReplyDeleteYes quite unusual. I love to find out about different species around the globe. x
DeleteThat's what I was going to say River...they look a wee bit like sparrows.
ReplyDeleteSparrows aren't allowed over here in the West nor are blackbirds. I actually enjoyed seeing them when I was in Melbourne years ago. We try to protect our crops etc if we can and being so isolated helps. We are though having real problems with cane toads which were introduced into the cane fields of Queensland some years ago, but are now spreading and threatening our wildlife.
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