Automolus Explained

Automolus is a genus of bird in the ovenbird family Furnariidae.

Taxonomy

The genus Automolus was introduced in 1853 by the German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach to accommodate the taxon Sphenura sulphurascens Lichtenstein, now treated as a subspecies of the white-eyed foliage-gleaner.^{[1] [2]} The name is from the Ancient Greek automolos meaning "deserter".^[3]

Species

The genus contains 11 species:^[4]

• Chestnut-crowned foliage-gleaner, Automolus rufipileatus
• Brown-rumped foliage-gleaner, Automolus melanopezus
• Ochre-throated foliage-gleaner, Automolus ochrolaemus
• Fawn-throated foliage-gleaner, Automolus cervinigularis
• Chiriqui foliage-gleaner, Automolus exsertus – split from buff-throated foliage-gleaner
• Eastern woodhaunter, Automolus subulatus – formerly in Hyloctistes (previously striped woodhaunter)
• Western woodhaunter, Automolus virgatus – split from eastern woodhaunter
• Olive-backed foliage-gleaner, Automolus infuscatus
• Para foliage-gleaner, Automolus paraensis
• Pernambuco foliage-gleaner, Automolus lammi – split from white-eyed foliage-gleaner ^[5]
• White-eyed foliage-gleaner, Automolus leucophthalmus

The tepui foliage-gleaner has been placed in this genus, but behavior, voice, and morphology all point to it belonging in Syndactyla,^[6] and molecular data confirmed this hypothesis.^[7]

The eastern woodhaunter was formerly placed in its own genus Hyloctistes but molecular evidence showed that it was nested in Automolus.^[8] The ruddy foliage-gleaner and the Santa Marta foliage-gleaner, formerly placed in Automolus, are actually more closely related to Clibanornis foliage-gleaners.^[8]

Notes and References

1. Book: Reichenbach, Ludwig . Ludwig Reichenbach . 1853 . Icones ad synopsin avium No. 10 Scansoriae A . Handbuch der speciellen Ornithologie . 6 . German . Dresden und Leipzig . Expedition Vollständigsten Naturgeschichte . 145–218 [146, 173–174] . https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/47722874 .
2. Book: Peters . James Lee . James L. Peters . 1951 . Check-List of Birds of the World . 7 . Museum of Comparative Zoology . Cambridge, Massachusetts . 133 .
3. Book: Jobling, James A. . 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm . London . 978-1-4081-2501-4 . 63 .
4. Web site: Gill . Frank . Frank Gill (ornithologist) . Donsker . David . 2018 . Ovenbirds, woodcreepers . World Bird List Version 9.1 . International Ornithologists' Union . 21 January 2019 .
5. Zimmer . K.J. . 2008 . The white-eyed foliage-gleaner (Furnariidae: Automolus) is two species . Wilson Journal of Ornithology . 120 . 1 . 10–25 . 10.1676/06-167.1 . 20456101 . 85713508 .
6. Zimmer, K. J., Robbins, M. B., & Kopuchiam, C. (2008). Taxonomy, vocalisations, syringeal morphology and natural history of Automolus roraimae (Furnariidae). Bulletin B.O.U. 128: 187–206.
7. Derryberry. Elizabeth P.. Claramunt. Santiago. Derryberry. Graham. Chesser. R. Terry. Cracraft. Joel. Aleixo. Alexandre. Pérez-Emán. Jorge. Remsen Jr.. J. V.. Brumfield. Robb T.. Lineage diversification and morphological evolution in a large-scale continental radiation: the Neotropical ovenbirds and woodcreepers (Aves: Furnariidae). Evolution. 65. 10. 2011. 2973–2986. 0014-3820. 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2011.01374.x. 21967436. free.
8. Claramunt. Santiago. Derryberry. Elizabeth P.. Cadena. Carlos Daniel. Cuervo. Andrés M.. Sanín. Camilo. Brumfield. Robb T.. Phylogeny and classification of Automolus foliage-gleaners and allies (Furnariidae). The Condor. 115. 2. 2013. 375–385. 10.1525/cond.2013.110198. 59375772 .