ovenbird, common name for a member of the family Furnariidae, primitive passerine birds, which build elaborate, domed nests of clay or dig tunnels in the ground to lay their eggs. Ovenbirds are most common in South America, where most are forest dwellers, although a few species are found on the coast and some high in the Andes. The North American ovenbird is not a member of this group, but is a warbler. True ovenbirds are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Aves, order Passeriformes, family Furnariidae.
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