Sclerurus is a bird genus in the ovenbird family, Furnariidae. Members of this genus are commonly known as leaftossers or leafscrapers, and are found in Mexico, Central America and South America. They are close relatives of the miners (Geositta), which are essentially an open-country version of the leaftossers, being lighter in color and longer-legged. Other relatives might include the sharp-tailed streamcreeper of the monotypic genus Lochmias and some other Furnariidae of obscure relationships.
Taxonomy The genus Sclerurus was introduced in 1827 by the English zoologist William Swainson. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek σκληρος/sklēros meaning "stiff" with ουρα/oura meaning "tail". Swainson did not specify a type species but in 1855 the English zoologist George Gray designated the type as Thamnophilus caudacutus Vieillot, 1816, the black-tailed leaftosser.
Species The genus contains seven species: Image Scientific name Common name Distribution Sclerurus mexicanus Tawny-throated leaftosser, also known as the Mexican or Middle American leaftosser Southern Mexico to western Panama Sclerurus obscurior Dusky leaftosser eastern Panama to eastern Brazil Sclerurus rufigularis Short-billed leaftosser Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. Sclerurus guatemalensis Scaly-throated leaftosser Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. Sclerurus caudacutus Black-tailed leaftosser Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. Sclerurus albigularis Grey-throated leaftosser Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. Sclerurus scansor Rufous-breasted leaftosser Brazil and eastern Paraguay.
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