Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Rufous-tailed Xenops
Microxenops milleri
Rufous-tailed Xenops (Microxenops milleri) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Rufous-tailed Xenops (Microxenops milleri) is a member of the Furnariidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 12.2 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Furnariidae Ovenbirds
- Genus Microxenops
- Species milleri
Quick facts
- Weight
- 12.2 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Furnariidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Rufous-tailed Xenops is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Rufous-tailed Xenops is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Rufous-tailed Xenops (Microxenops milleri) is a member of the Furnariidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA Amazonia.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 12.2 g, with a wing length of about 6.4 cm and a tail of around 3.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 3.6 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Rufous-tailed Xenops?
The Rufous-tailed Xenops is a very small bird that weighs around 12.2 g.
Where does the Rufous-tailed Xenops live?
The Rufous-tailed Xenops is found across South America with a range covering SA Amazonia, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Rufous-tailed Xenops belong to?
The Rufous-tailed Xenops (Microxenops milleri) belongs to the Furnariidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Rufous-tailed Xenops eat?
The Rufous-tailed Xenops is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Rufous-tailed Xenops migrate?
The Rufous-tailed Xenops is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Rufous-tailed Xenops endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Rufous-tailed Xenops make?
1 real field recording of the Rufous-tailed Xenops — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Rufous-tailed Xenops's range?
The Rufous-tailed Xenops has a mapped global range of about 3.6 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Meet the Furnariidae
A field guide to the Furnariidae family — 321 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.