Crested Hornero Furnarius cristatus Scientific name definitions

The Crested Hornero is closely related to the much more widespread Common Hornero, and like all horneros it makes a large mud oven shaped nest with a side entrance. The name hornero in fact means oven maker; the nests are a structural wonder with the side entrance curling behind the nest chamber, such that there is a curved tunnel that the bird needs to navigate before getting to the nest area. This surely keeps mammalian predators from gaining access to the eggs or nestlings. This hornero is a smaller species than the widespread form, and it is restricted to the western part of Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay in Chaco habitats. Apart from the smaller size, the Crested Hornero has a short crest, giving the bird an entirely different aspect than its more common relative. As is typical of horneros, the crested forages on the ground, usually as singles or pairs. Every so often the male begins its song which is quickly joined by the female in a rollicking duet, while they duet the two birds also droop and quiver the wings.

14–15 cm; 26–29 g. Small ovenbird with distinctive crest, bill  shorter than that of congeners. Adult has inconspicuous pale supercilium, whitish loral area, and dull brownish malar area and auriculars vaguely outlined with darker brown; forehead rufescent, contrasting with duller clay-brown crown with feathers elongated into crest; back and rump dull tawny-rufous, uppertail coverts rufous; wing-coverts and remiges mostly dull tawny-brown, remiges with rufous edges, bend of wing whitish; tail slightly rounded to nearly square, central rectrices dull rufous, rest brighter rufous; throat  whitish, blending to dull tawny breast; belly and flanks more tawny, centre of belly nearly whitish, undertail-coverts tawny whitish with mostly or wholly concealed rufescent-brown bases; iris brownish-red; upper mandible blackish, mandible pinkish, with darker tip; tarsus and toes gray. Sexes alike. Juvenile undescribed.

Extreme SE Bolivia (SE Chuquisaca, E Tarija) and W Paraguay S to C Argentina (S to N San Luis, N Córdoba, C Santa Fe, NW Entre Ríos).

Arid lowland scrub; Chaco scrub and arid woodland, particularly around houses and clearings; to 1000 m.

Arthropods. Solitary or in pairs. Gleans items from ground.

Song an explosive staccato burst  of loud, piercing whistled notes tailing off towards end, c. 4–5 seconds long, shriller than song of F. rufus; often in duet. Call “jwee-t-t-t-t-t-t-t”.

Breeds during austral spring and summer; eggs in Nov in Argentina. Presumably monogamous. Nest  a hardened “adobe oven” c. 20 cm in diameter and c. 15 cm tall, similar to that of F. rufus but smaller, floor of nest-chamber with bits of grass, placed c. 2–5 m up on branch  of bush or tree. Clutch 4 eggs.