Rufous-tailed Xenops Microxenops milleri Scientific name definitions

The Rufous-tailed Xenops is widely distributed across Amazonia, where it is generally rare to fairly common locally. This species is placed in the monotypic genus Microxenops, based on its slightly different bill shape, lack of any black in the tail, and the absence of a pale malar streak, all of which differentiate it from other species in the genus Xenops; Rufous-tailed Xenops is also much more heavily streaked over the crown and mantle. In addition, genetic data supports its placement in the monotypic Microxenops (1 Harvey, M. G., G. A. Bravo, S. Claramunt, A. M. Cuervo, G. E. Derryberry, J. Battilana, G. F. Seeholzer, J. S. McKay, B. C. O'Meara, B. C. Faircloth, S. V. Edwards, J. Pérez-Emán, R. G. Moyle, F. H. Sheldon, A. Aleixo, B. T. Smith, R. T. Chesser, L. F. Silveira, J. Cracraft, R. T. Brumfield, and E. P. Derryberry (2020). The evolution of a tropical biodiversity hotspot. Science 370:1343–1348. Close ). This species does not appear to hammer at bark in search of food, unlike others in Xenops. It occurs in tropical evergreen forest, including seasonally flooded areas, where it is most frequently seen in mixed-species flocks of insectivores moving through the subcanopy or canopy.