More Córdoba's ovenbirds

During my last trip to Córdoba, central Argentina, Jorge (avespampa.com.ar) showed me both endemic and widespread bird species.  I already talked about most of the endemic ovenbirds we saw (read this post).  About the widespread species... well, I was impressed by the number of furnariids (ovenbirds) that form part of the common Córdoba's avifauna.  I have to say that I really liked this scene.

This is the nest of one of the most common furnariid around Córdoba, the Rufous Hornero.  It looks exactly like the traditional ovens still in use in some parts of interior Panamá... and certainly in other parts of the world.  I took this photo of Gloriela and Gabrielle (then a 3 months-old baby) next to an oven in a little town close to Penonomé (central Panamá).

Amazing!  Now the name makes sense, since there are no horneros in Panamá.  In fact, there are almost no furnariids at all in central Panamá where I'm used to bird... well, not until the woodcreepers were included within the furnariids.  Yes... officially, the woodcreepers ARE ovenbirds, like this Narrow-billed Woodcreeper that we saw in chaco habitat close to the town of Quilino.

Certainly it looks pretty similar to some woodcreepers of the same genus here in Panamá.  But to be honest, I don't feel well naming these birds ovenbirds...; the tit-spinetails, on the other hand, is another story.  We saw two species: a Brown-capped Tit-Spinetail in Pampa de Achala and a group of Tufted Tit-Spinetails near Quilino.

In spite that ALL of the ovenbirds I saw were lifers for me, most of them belong to widespread groups. What I mean is that I've seen horneros, tit-spinetails, canasteros and cinclodes in other parts of South America.  That's why for me it was a great satisfaction to see members of completely new groups for me, like the Brown Cacholote (sorry, no photo)... and also unique ovenbirds with no obvious close relatives and absolutely GREAT names, like Firewood-gatherer and Lark-like Brushrunner.

Come on!  The brushrunner certainly was the most weird and spectacular ovenbird in the surroundings.  I dreamed of seeing this bird long before landing in Argentina... and I have to admit that at some point in the day I thought I would not see it; but Jorge always reassured me saying that this species was common, that it was only a matter of time, that this bird is peri-domiciliary.  By the end of the day, we headed to Quilino and then Jorge pointed them to me, yelling "Crestudos", it spanish name.  A group of four brushrunners were right by the road, close to a house as he predicted.  Some stayed in the ground, others flew to a nearby tree.  The Lark-like Brushrunner was the last lifer for the day... what a great lifer!

P.D.: I mentioned that the brushrunner was the last lifer of the day... but not THE bird of the day... that title belongs to an endemic... stay tuned for details!