Thripadectes

Abstract: . Thripadectes treehunters are among the most poorly known cavity-nesting furnariids. In this paper we review the existing information on their nests, present new field observations from Ecuador, and add unpublished museum data. We describe for the first time the nests of two species, T. flammulatus and T. holostictus. Nests of Thripadectes are all shallow cups of vegetative material, lacking any lining of animal origin such as feathers or hair. Most species have consistent preferences for particular plant materials. Thripadectes rufobrunneus, T. virgaticeps, and T. holostictus use mainly rootlets, T. melanorhynchus uses stems of compound leaves exclusively, and T. flammulatus incorporates plant materials derived from grass, bamboo, and treeferns. Larger samples of nests from across these species' ranges are needed to determine the generality of this pattern and whether the availability of material plays a role. Several features of Thripadectes nest architecture are shared by putative sister gener...