Plain Xenops (Xenops minutus) [XC118952]
by Marcus Braun from Parauapebas, Para, Brazil (male, song)
Plain Xenops (Xenops minutus) [XC232287]
by Peter Boesman from Boa Nova humid area, Bahia, Brazil (song)
Subspecies
Smaller and pale-throated nominate subspecies distinctive, possibly a separate species from others. Apparent geographical variation in song requires further study and several species may be involved. Thorough analysis may reveal that variation in Central America is clinal; proposed subspecies cayoensis (from Belize) considered not diagnosable. Honduran populations of mexicanus approach ridgwayi in most characters, and latter is very like littoralis. Sight records from north-western Peru (Tumbes) presumed to refer to last-mentioned subspecies. Subspecies remoratus intergrades with ruficaudus in southern Venezuela (R Casiquiare region).
The following 10 subspecies are recognised:
mexicanus P. L. Sclater, 1857 - Southern Mexico (from Veracruz) south to Honduras.
ridgwayi Hartert and Goodson, 1917 - Nicaragua south to central Panama.
littoralis P. L. Sclater, 1862 - Eastern Panama (Darién) and northern Colombia (east to Cauca and Magdalena valleys) south to western Ecuador and extreme north-western Peru (Tumbes).
olivaceus Aveledo and Pons, 1952 - Perijá Mts of north-eastern Colombia and north-western Venezuela.
neglectus Todd, 1913 - North-eastern Colombia (south to Cundinamarca) and north-western Venezuela (east to Miranda).
remoratus J. T. Zimmer, 1935 - Eastern Colombia (eastern from Meta and Caquetá), south-western Venezuela (south-western Amazonas) and north-western Brazil (north-western Amazonas).
ruficaudus (Vieillot, 1816) - Eastern Colombia (Vichada), southern and eastern Venezuela (Amazonas and Bolívar east to Paria Peninsula), the Guianas and northern Brazil (east of R Negro).
obsoletus J. T. Zimmer, 1924 - Eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, western Brazil (south of R Amazon, east to R Madeira) and northern Bolivia (south to northern Santa Cruz).
genibarbis Illiger, 1811 - Central Brazil (R Madeira east to Piauí, south to southern Mato Grosso and northern Goiás).
minutus (Sparrman, 1788) - Eastern and south-eastern Brazil (Pernambuco south to Santa Catarina), eastern Paraguay (eastern from Canendiyú, Caaguazú) and north-eastern Argentina (Misiones).