The cacholotes are four species of relatively large, heavy-billed furnariids in the genus Pseudoseisura. They are found in shrubby habitats in the South American countries of Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. They are essentially brown (ranging from deep rufous to pale gray-brown depending on species), and all are crested to some extent.
Taxonomy The genus Pseudoseisura was introduced in 1853 by the German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach to accommodate the white-throated cacholote. The name combines the Ancient Greek pseudos meaning "false" and seisoura, a bird mentioned by the Greek lexicologist Hesychius of Alexandria and believed to be a wagtail Motacilla.
Species The genus contains four extant species: Image Scientific name Common name Distribution Pseudoseisura cristataCaatinga cacholote Caatinga in north-eastern Brazil. Pseudoseisura unirufa Grey-crested cacholote Pantanal-region in Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia Pseudoseisura lophotesBrown cacholote northern Argentina, western Paraguay and Uruguay; also in southeastern Bolivia and Rio Grande do Sul Pseudoseisura gutturalis White-throated cacholote Argentina (Patagonia and the northwest).
The allopatric Caatinga and gray-crested cacholotes were formerly considered conspecific under the name rufous cacholote (Pseudoseisura cristata).
Fossil species: †Pseudoseisura cursor (Pleistocene of Argentina)
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