RUFOUS HORNERO Furnarius rufus FAUNA PARAGUAY

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RUFOUS HORNERO Furnarius rufus
Striding majestically across an open lawn with a goose-stepping gait, the Rufous Hornero is one of the first birds to catch the eye on arrival in Paraguay. However it is not their gentlemanly conduct that makes them so fascinating, but their unique clay nests that earns them the nickname “Ovenbird” in English and “Caserita” (house-builder) in Spanish. A single pair builds several “ovens” and occupies them all year round, using them as a centre for noisy bouts of pair-bonding displays, roosting and, of course, reproduction! They are not choosy about location either, I have seen nests placed anywhere from in the red light of a traffic light to the head of a commemorative statue in a town plaza! Unoccupied nests are quickly taken over by other species, capitalising on the sturdy workmanship and the protection it provides.

FIGURE 1 - Adult ssp rufus possibly, Encarnación, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith October 2006).
FIGURE 2 - Adult ssp rufus possibly, Encarnación, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith December).
FIGURE 3 - Adult ssp rufus possibly head detail PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Paul Smith December).
FIGURE 4 - Same individual as Fig 2 upperwing, (Paul Smith December).
FIGURE 5 - Adult ssp rufus possibly underwing, PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Paul Smith December).
FIGURE 6 - Adult possibly ssp commersoni, Ruta Trans-Chaco km650 (Paul Smith July).
FIGURE 7 - Head detail same individual (Paul Smith July).
FIGURE 8 - Upperwing possibly ssp commersoni, Ruta Trans-Chaco km650 (Paul Smith July).
FIGURE 9 - Adult ssp paraguayae dorsal, Asunción, Departamento Central (Frank Fragano undated).
FIGURE 10 - Adult ssp paraguayae ventral, Asunción, Departamento Central (Frank Fragano undated).
FIGURE 11 - Adult on nest, Bahía Negra (Paul Smith September 2006).
FIGURE 12 - Adult collecting mud, location unknown (Marcelo Bombaci September 2007).
VIDEO A - Adult ssp rufus possiblyforaging, Encarnación, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith October 2006).
VIDEO B - Same nest as Fig 11 (Paul Smith September 2006).
VIDEO C - Same individual as Figs 3 and 4 (Paul Smith July).
The individual in Fig 6 and 7 is particularly rufous on the forehead and nape, with pure white throat and vent and a strong facial pattern - characters typical of the Bolivian subspecies commersoni. These birds were also noticeably smaller in measurements than birds from the Encarnación area. Birds sharing these characters are typical of the extreme High Chaco in Paraguay and are often misidentified as Pale-legged Hornero Furnarius leucopus which is a much deeper orange in colour and confined to the Paraguayan Pantanal. The subspecific identity of horneros in Paraguay is unclear, with at least three races possibly present and likely zones of intergrade.