Plain Xenops

Xenops minutus

I chose today's animal out of an interest to find a creature whose name started with the letter 'X.' Xenops are birds found within the genus of the same name, and are small bodied with long tails and flat, upturned bills. These bills are used to hammer decaying wood and forage for insects.

The Plain Xenops can be found living in forested areas ranged from Mexico to the southern fringes of the Amazon Basin. They differ from other Xenops in that their back feathers are a sold brown, rather then streaked. They also live at lower elevations than the other Xenops.

All Xenops belong to the Furnariidae family, AKA Ovenbirds. This name is due to the fact that many species build clay nests. Not so for the Plain Xenops! They roost in hollow and decaying trees that they line with plant materials. Both parents help to construct the nest, and to incubate and care for the offspring.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern

Location : Central and South America

Size : Length 4.5 in (12cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Passeriformes
Family : Furnariidae -- Genus : Xenops -- Species : X. minutus