''Upucerthia'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...

in the family Furnariidae.

Taxonomy and etymology

''Upucerthia'' is a

in the family Furnariidae. Established by French zoologist

Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (16 December 1805 – 10 November 1861) was a French zoologist and an authority on deviation from normal structure. In 1854 he coined the term ''éthologie'' ( ethology). Biography He was born in Paris, the s ...

in 1832, it contains four species known as earthcreepers.

Genetic studies Genetic analysis is the overall process of studying and researching in fields of science that involve genetics and molecular biology. There are a number of applications that are developed from this research, and these are also considered parts of ...

done in the early 2000s indicated that the genus as it stood at that time was highly

polyphyletic A polyphyletic group is an assemblage of organisms or other evolving elements that is of mixed evolutionary origin. The term is often applied to groups that share similar features known as homoplasies, which are explained as a result of conver ...

, with species representing four distinct clades. As a result, a total of five former species were moved to other

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial ...

. The

rock earthcreeper The rock earthcreeper (''Ochetorhynchus andaecola'') is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae. It is found in the Puna grassland of Bolivia and northern Chile and Argentina. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude s ...

and the

straight-billed earthcreeper The straight-billed earthcreeper (''Ochetorhynchus ruficaudus'') is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland. Descrip ...

were moved to the genus ''

Ochetorhynchus ''Ochetorhynchus'' is a genus of earthcreepers, birds in the family Furnariidae. They are found in open to semi-open habitats in Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and Peru. The genus contains the following species: * Rock earthcreeper, ''Ochetorhyn ...

''. The Bolivian earthcreeper and the Chaco earthcreeper were moved to the genus '' Tarphonomus'', and the

striated earthcreeper The striated earthcreeper (''Geocerthia serrana'') is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae. It is monotypic within ''Geocerthia'', but has traditionally been included in ''Upucerthia''. The two genera are not particularly close.Chesser, R ...

was moved into the

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

genus '' Geocerthia''. The genus name is a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsUpupa Hoopoes () are colourful birds found across Africa, Asia, and Europe, notable for their distinctive "crown" of feathers. Three living and one extinct species are recognized, though for many years all of the extant species were lumped as a single ...

'' (for the

hoopoe Hoopoes () are colourful birds found across Africa, Asia, and Europe, notable for their distinctive "crown" of feathers. Three living and one extinct species are recognized, though for many years all of the extant species were lumped as a single ...

s) and ''

Certhia '' Certhia '' is the genus of birds containing the typical treecreepers, which together with the African and Indian spotted creepers make up the family Certhiidae. The typical treecreepers occur in many wooded parts of the North Temperate Zone ...

'' (for the

treecreeper The treecreepers are a family, Certhiidae, of small passerine birds, widespread in wooded regions of the Northern Hemisphere and sub-Saharan Africa. The family contains eleven species in two genera, '' Certhia'' and ''Salpornis''. Their plumage ...

s).

List of species

The following are species recognized by the

International Ornithologists' Union The International Ornithologists' Union, formerly known as the International Ornithological Committee, is a group of about 200 international ornithologists, and is responsible for the International Ornithological Congress and other international ...

as being members of this genus. *

Scale-throated earthcreeper The scale-throated earthcreeper or scaly-throated earthcreeper (''Upucerthia dumetaria'') is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae. It is found in Argentina, Chile and the Altiplano; it winters in the Pampas and east of Córdoba. Its nat ...

(''Upucerthia dumetaria'') *

Patagonian forest earthcreeper The Patagonian forest earthcreeper (''Upucerthia saturatior''), also known as the forest earthcreeper, is a species of bird in the ovenbird family Furnariidae. The species was described in 1900 by W.E.D. Scott, but was listed as a subspecies of ...

(''Upucerthia saturatior'') *

White-throated earthcreeper The white-throated earthcreeper (''Upucerthia albigula'') is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae. It is found in Chile and Peru. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brus ...

(''Upucerthia albigula'') *

Buff-breasted earthcreeper The buff-breasted earthcreeper (''Upucerthia validirostris'') is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae. It is found throughout the Puna grassland and mountains of northwestern Argentina. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropi ...

(''Upucerthia validirostris'') **

Plain-breasted earthcreeper The plain-breasted earthcreeper (''Upucerthia validirostris jelskii'') is a bird in the family Furnariidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland and subtropi ...

(''Upucerthia validirostris jelskii'') The

, described as a distinct species in 1900 but soon lumped as a subspecies of the

scale-throated earthcreeper The scale-throated earthcreeper or scaly-throated earthcreeper (''Upucerthia dumetaria'') is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae. It is found in Argentina, Chile and the Altiplano; it winters in the Pampas and east of Córdoba. Its nat ...

, was designated as a distinct species again in the early 2000s. This determination was based on differences in its

morphology Morphology, from the Greek and meaning "study of shape", may refer to: Disciplines *Morphology (archaeology), study of the shapes or forms of artifacts *Morphology (astronomy), study of the shape of astronomical objects such as nebulae, galaxies, ...

song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetiti ...

Taxonomy and etymology

List of species

References

Notes

Sources