Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 13, 2026

Sclerurus

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.

Last revised
Jun 13, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
Length
384 w
Citations
5
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Sclerurus
Dusky leaftosser in Ecuador
Sclerurus obscurior
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Furnariidae
Genus: Sclerurus
Swainson, 1827
Type species
Thamnophilus caudacutus
Vieillot, 1816

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.1 The genus name combines the Ancient Greek σκληρος/sklēros meaning "stiff" with ουρα/oura meaning "tail".2 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.34

Species

The genus contains seven species:5

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.
References

References

  1. Swainson, William (1827). "On several groups and forms in ornithology, not hitherto defined". Zoological Journal. 3: 158–175, 343–363 [356].
  2. Jobling, James A. "Sclerurus". The Key to Scientific Names. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
  3. Gray, George Robert (1855). Catalogue of the Genera and Subgenera of Birds Contained in the British Museum. London: British Museum. p. 42.
  4. Dickinson, E.C.; Christidis, L., eds. (2014). The Howard & Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World (PDF). Vol. 2: Passerines (4th ed.). Eastbourne, UK: Aves Press. p. 106. ISBN 978-0-9568611-2-2.
  5. AviList Core Team (2025). "AviList: The Global Avian Checklist, v2025". doi:10.2173/avilist.v2025. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
External links