Automolus is a genus of bird in the ovenbird family Furnariidae.
Taxonomy The genus Automolus was introduced in 1853 by the German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach to accommodate the taxon Sphenura sulphurascens Lichtenstein, now treated as a subspecies of the white-eyed foliage-gleaner. The name is from the Ancient Greek automolos meaning "deserter".
Species The genus contains 11 species:
Image Scientific name Common Name Distribution Automolus rufipileatus Chestnut-crowned foliage-gleaner Amazonia Automolus melanopezus Brown-rumped foliage-gleaner western Amazonia Automolus cervinigularis Fawn-throated foliage-gleaner Central America Automolus ochrolaemus Ochre-throated foliage-gleaner Tumbes–Chocó–Magdalena and Amazonia Automolus exsertus Chiriqui foliage-gleaner southern Costa Rica and Panama Automolus virgatus Western woodhaunter Nicaragua to Ecuador Automolus subulatus Eastern woodhaunter Amazonia Automolus infuscatus Olive-backed foliage-gleaner Amazonia (north of Madeira River) Automolus paraensis Para foliage-gleaner Amazonia (south of Madeira River) Automolus lammi Pernambuco foliage-gleaner Pernambuco coastal forests Automolus leucophthalmus White-eyed foliage-gleaner southeastern Brazil, Paraguay and selva misionera
The tepui foliage-gleaner has been placed in this genus, but behavior, voice, and morphology all point to it belonging in Syndactyla,Zimmer, K. J., Robbins, M. B., & Kopuchiam, C. (2008). Taxonomy, vocalisations, syringeal morphology and natural history of Automolus roraimae (Furnariidae). Bulletin B.O.U. 128: 187–206. and molecular data confirmed this hypothesis.
The eastern woodhaunter was formerly placed in its own genus Hyloctistes but molecular evidence showed that it was nested in Automolus. The ruddy foliage-gleaner and the Santa Marta foliage-gleaner, formerly placed in Automolus, are actually more closely related to Clibanornis foliage-gleaners.
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