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Slender-billed Xenops Xenops tenuirostris Scientific name definitions

J. V. Remsen, Jr.
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 1, 2003

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Originally Appeared in

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Introduction

In many ways a typical Xenops, for instance in its white malar streak, rufous and black tail, rufous wing band, and narrow white supercilium, the Slender-billed Xenops is relatively widespread in Amazonia, although it is absent from a significant part of the Guiana Shield. It inhabits tropical lowland evergreen forest, including seasonally flooded areas, and the species locally ascends to approximately 1500 m in the foothills of the Andes. Its ecology and behavior are rather poorly known, on account of the species’ overall rarity throughout its range, although the Slender-billed Xenops is generally found within mixed-species foraging flocks, like its congenerics.

Field Identification

10 cm; 9–11 g. Wedge-shaped bill relatively longer and thinner and streaking generally finer than in congeners. Nominate race has narrow buffish-white supercilium, blackish-brown postocular band, blackish-brown auriculars with dull buff flammulations; short malar streak gleaming white; crown dark brown, dull buff spotting on forecrown becoming narrow streaks on rest of crown; back rufescent brown with short, broad creamy buff spot-like streaks, these quickly vanishing on lower back; rump and uppertail-coverts reddish-rufous; wing-coverts dark brown with rufous margins, remiges blackish-brown with rufous wingband showing broadly near bases; tail nearly square, shafts without appreciable stiffening, tips more or less rounded, outer and central pairs of rectrices rufous, others a striking complex mix of black and rufous; chin dull pale buff, blending to throat with dull olive-brown streaking along lower margin; breast dull olive-brown with well-defined pale buff streaks, belly like breast but streaks much narrower, fading posteriorly; undertail-coverts dull olive-brown with broad pale buff shaft streaks; iris brown to dark brown; upper mandible black, sometimes dark brownish, lower mandible black with creamy grey to pinkish base; tarsus and toes dark blue-grey to black. Sexes alike. Juvenile undescribed. Race acutirostris has back slightly darker with larger streaks, underparts slightly darker, more greyish-olive, with broader, more sharply defined whitish streaks, bill more slender and not so recurved; hellmayri is evidently like nominate, but crown slightly darker and more distinctly streaked, supercilium, neck and throat bright buff (not whitish), underparts more brownish.

Systematics History

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Birds of Venezuela currently included in acutirostris, but apparently unlike typical specimens of that race; specimens from Guyana also included in acutirostris, but may belong to hellmayri; further study needed. Three subspecies recognized.

Subspecies

SUBSPECIES

Xenops tenuirostris acutirostris Scientific name definitions

Distribution

W Guyana, S Venezuela (S Amazonas, Bolívar) and SE Colombia (S from Caquetá and Vaupés) S to NE Peru.
SUBSPECIES

Xenops tenuirostris hellmayri Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Suriname and French Guiana.
SUBSPECIES

Xenops tenuirostris tenuirostris Scientific name definitions

Distribution

SE Peru, Amazonian Brazil S of R Amazon (E to SW Pará) and N Bolivia (Pando, NW La Paz, N Santa Cruz).

Distribution

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Habitat

Tropical lowland and flooded evergreen forest; mostly sea-level to 600 m, locally to 1500 m.

Movement

Resident.

Diet and Foraging

Arthropods; Orthoptera recorded. Usually forages singly, in mixed-species flocks, in canopy and subcanopy. Climbs and hitches up and along slender branches, often using tail for support. Hammers, chisels and gleans bark and dead wood.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Song a series of 4–5 dry “tsip” notes on same pitch.

Breeding

No information.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife LC Least Concern
Not globally threatened. Rare to locally uncommon. Not well known. Occurs in numerous protected areas, e.g. Manu National Park and Biosphere Reserve, in Peru.
Distribution of the Slender-billed Xenops - Range Map
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Distribution of the Slender-billed Xenops

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Recommended Citation

Remsen, Jr., J. V. (2020). Slender-billed Xenops (Xenops tenuirostris), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.slbxen1.01
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