Furnarius rufus
Silhouette: Abraão B. Leite · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The rufous hornero (Furnarius rufus) is a medium-sized ovenbird in the family Furnariidae. It occurs in eastern South America and is the national bird of Argentina. Also known as the red ovenbird, it is common in savannas, second-growth scrub, pastures, and agricultural land and is synanthropic. Its range includes midwestern, southeastern, and southern Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northern and central Argentina, extending as far south as northern Patagonia. The species is most closely related to the crested hornero of Paraguay and Argentina. There are four accepted subspecies.
The rufous hornero is medium-sized with a square tail and very slightly decurved bill. The plumage is overall reddish brown with a dull brown crown and a whitish throat. Sexes are alike and juvenile birds are slightly paler below (probably because they are cleaner). Rufous horneros feed on insects and other arthropods obtained by foraging on the ground while walking. They sometimes feed on scraps such as bread crumbs. Songs in the rufous hornero are sexually distinct. The rapid trill that is usually heard as part of the duet is faster in the male and slower in the female, and both beat their wings at their sides while singing and the wings beat at the same rate as their trill. Thus, while watching an observer may identify the sex by how fast their wings beat while singing. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iberá National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | El Palmar National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 3 | Chapada dos Guimarães National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 4 | El Impenetrable National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 5 | Iguazú National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 6 | Iguaçu National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 7 | Amboró National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 8 | Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 9 | Emas National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 10 | Tijuca National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 11 | Serra da Canastra National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 12 | Chapada Diamantina National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 13 | Serra dos Órgãos National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 14 | Itatiaia National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brasilia | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Porto Alegre | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Montevideo | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | |
| 4 | Cordoba | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 5 | Buenos Aires | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 6 | Mendoza | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 7 | Curitiba | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 8 | Salvador | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 9 | Rosario | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 10 | Campo Grande | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous Hornero sighting in Itatiaia National Park on a given day, based on 186 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 162nd most-seen of the 352 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous Hornero in Itatiaia National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July and October, the lowest months. That is one of Itatiaia National Park's driest months, with about 70 mm of rain against 330 mm in December.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rufous Hornero sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
14th of 14
Of the 14 parks where we can rate Rufous Hornero sightings, Itatiaia National Park ranks 14th at about 10%. The best odds are in Iberá National Park (Argentina, about 80%), El Palmar National Park (Argentina, about 70%) and Chapada dos Guimarães National Park (Brazil, about 70%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Rufous Hornero is recorded against all the birds logged in Itatiaia National Park (186 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
