Horneros

The hornero birds are members of the genus Furnarius in the family Furnariidae, native to South America. The English common name appears in many books as "ovenbird".

Horneros are brown birds with rather short tails and fairly long bills. They are known for building mud nests that resemble old wood-fired ovens (the Spanish word "hornero" comes from horno, meaning "oven"). These nests have a unique chambered construction. While many Furnariids have different nests, the hornero nest is the reason for the common name applied to the entire family; ovenbirds (they are unrelated to the parulid warbler called the ovenbird in the United States). The size and exact shape of the hornero nest varies depending on the species. They generally lay two to four eggs, although the breeding behavior of the bay hornero is virtually unknown.