Rufous Hornero

Argentina · bird builder · grasslands · clever

Master mud builder. The rufous hornero earned its name because it builds oven-shaped nests from mud and straw, sticking them to tree branches or posts where they dry hard as clay.

Argentina's pride. This medium-sized reddish-brown bird is so special that Argentina chose it as their national bird, representing the country's natural heritage.

Farm and grassland home. Rufous horneros thrive in open savannas, pastures, and agricultural land across South America, and they're comfortable living near people in second-growth scrub and farmland.

Widespread across South America. You can find these birds throughout eastern South America, from midwestern Brazil all the way down to northern Patagonia in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia.

Four distinct groups. Scientists recognize four different subspecies of rufous horneros, each with slight variations but all sharing the same clever mud-building habit.