Campylorhynchus


Campylorhynchus is a genus of wrens, which has at least 15 described species. At 17–22 cm long, these are the largest-bodied of wrens, including the largest species, the giant wren. Member species are found in South and Central America and in the case of the cactus wren, as far north as the southwestern United States.

Taxonymy

The genus Campylorhynchus was introduced in 1824 by the German naturalist Johann Baptist von Spix. He listed two species in his new genus but did not specify the type. The type was subsequently designated in 1840 by the English zoologist George Gray as Opetiorhynchos turdinus Wied-Neuwied, M, the thrush-like wren. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek καμπυλος/kampulos meaning "curved" or "bent" with ῥυγχος/rhunkhos meaning "bill". The genus now contains 15 species.
A 2007 genetic study established the following relationships between species, including some selected subspecies: