Cinnycerthia Explained

Cinnycerthia is a genus of bird in the wren family, Troglodytidae. It contains four species which inhabit the undergrowth of montane forests in the Andes.^[1] None of them are considered to be threatened with extinction and they are classified as species of Least Concern by BirdLife International.^[2] They are 14–16.5 cm long and have a fairly short bill and fairly plain reddish-brown plumage with dark bars on the wings and tail.^[1] The name of the genus is a combination of Cinnyris, a genus of sunbirds, and Certhia, a genus of treecreepers.^[3]

Species list

The genus contains the following species:^[4]

• Rufous wren (Cinnycerthia unirufa)
• Sepia-brown wren (Cinnycerthia olivascens)
• Peruvian wren (Cinnycerthia peruana)
• Fulvous wren (Cinnycerthia fulva)

The sepia-brown and fulvous wrens were formerly treated as subspecies of the Peruvian wren.^[5]

Notes and References

1. Ridgely, Robert S. and Guy Tudor (1994) The Birds of South America, volume 2: the Suboscine Passerines, University of Texas Press.
2. BirdLife International. Cinnycerthia. Accessed 8 November 2011.
3. Jobling, James A. (2010) Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names, 2nd ed., Christopher Helm, London.
4. Gill, F. and D. Donsker, eds. (2011): Sugarbirds, Starlings, Thrushes , IOC World Bird Names (Version 2.10). Accessed 8 November 2011.
5. Remsen, J. V., Jr., C. D. Cadena, A. Jaramillo, M. Nores, J. F. Pacheco, J. Pérez-Emán, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, D. F. Stotz and K. J. Zimmer (2011) Vireonidae to Sturnidae, A classification of the bird species of South America, American Ornithologists' Union. Accessed 8 November 2011.