Cinclodes Explained

Cinclodes is a genus of passerine birds belonging to the ovenbird family Furnariidae. There are about a dozen species distributed across the southern and Andean regions of South America. They are terrestrial birds of open habitats, typically found near water such as mountain streams or the seashore where they forage for small invertebrates. They are stocky birds with strong legs and feet and pointed, slightly downcurved bills. The plumage is inconspicuous and mainly brown, often with a pale wingbar, stripe over the eye and corners to the tail. They have loud, trilling songs and often raise their wings while singing.

Taxonomy

The genus Cinclodes was introduced in 1840 by the English zoologist George Robert Gray.^[1] The name combines the Ancient Greek kinklos, a word for an unknown waterside bird, with -oidēs meaning "resembling".^[2] In 1855 Gray specified the type species as the dark-bellied cinclodes, a species that had been described in 1889 by Gmelin under the binomial name Motacilla patagonica.^{[3] [4]}

The genus contains 15 extant species:^[5]

• Stout-billed cinclodes, Cinclodes excelsior
• Royal cinclodes, Cinclodes aricomae
• Buff-winged cinclodes, Cinclodes fuscus
• Chestnut-winged cinclodes, Cinclodes albidiventris (split from Cinclodes fuscus in 2012)
• Cream-winged cinclodes, Cinclodes albiventris (split from Cinclodes fuscus in 2012)
• Cordoba cinclodes or Comechingones cinclodes, Cinclodes comechingonus
• Long-tailed cinclodes, Cinclodes pabsti
• Grey-flanked cinclodes, Cinclodes oustaleti
• Olrog's cinclodes, Cinclodes olrogi
• Dark-bellied cinclodes, Cinclodes patagonicus
• Chilean seaside cinclodes or seaside cinclodes, Cinclodes nigrofumosus
• Peruvian seaside cinclodes or surf cinclodes, Cinclodes taczanowskii
• Blackish cinclodes, Cinclodes antarcticus
• White-winged cinclodes, Cinclodes atacamensis
• White-bellied cinclodes, Cinclodes palliatus

In addition, a fossil species, Cinclodes major, has been described for the Pleistocene of Argentina.^[6]

References

• Chesser, R. Terry (2004) Systematics, evolution and biogeography of the South American ovenbird genus Cinclodes, Auk 121 (3): 752-766
• Jaramillo, Alvaro; Burke, Peter & Beadle, David (2003) Field Guide to the Birds of Chile, Christopher Helm, London

Notes and References

1. Book: Gray, George Robert . George Robert Gray . 1840 . A List of the Genera of Birds : with an Indication of the Typical Species of Each Genus . London . R. and J.E. Taylor . 16 .
2. Book: Jobling, James A. . 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm . London . 978-1-4081-2501-4 . 107 .
3. Book: Gray, George Robert . George Robert Gray . 1855 . Catalogue of the Genera and Subgenera of Birds Contained in the British Museum . London . British Museum . 26 .
4. Book: Peters . James Lee . James L. Peters . 1951 . Check-List of Birds of the World . 7 . Museum of Comparative Zoology . Cambridge, Massachusetts . 65 .
5. Web site: Gill . Frank . Frank Gill (ornithologist) . Donsker . David . Rasmussen . Pamela . Pamela Rasmussen . January 2023 . Ovenbirds, woodcreepers . IOC World Bird List Version 13.1 . International Ornithologists' Union . 6 March 2023 .
6. Toni . E. P. . Un furnárido (Aves, Passeriformes) del Pleistoceno medio de la Provincia de Buenos Aires . Publicaciones del Museo Municipal de Ciencias Naturales de Mar del Plata Lorenzo Scaglia . 1977 . 2 . 141–147.