Furnariidae

/fɜrˌneɪriˈɪdi/ noun

Definition

A large family of small songbirds found primarily in Central and South America, including ovenbirds and spinetails.

Etymology

Modern scientific Latin from furnarius (the ovenbird genus) + -idae (the taxonomic suffix for families), named for their remarkable habit of building elaborate oven-shaped nests from mud and straw.

Kelly Says

Furnariidae birds are architectural geniuses—the rufous hornero (their most famous member) builds such sturdy mud ovens that some stay intact for years even after the birds abandon them, and local people sometimes use them as weather indicators.

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