Alternative Name(s): Lesser Canastero
- Asthenes pyrrholeuca
Identification
14–15 cm (5½-6 in)
- Pale greyish-brown face
- Brown upperparts
- Wite eyebrows and underparts
- Long tail; rufous with black centre
- Slender and straight beak
Distribution
South America: found in Chile and Argentina. A. p. affinis winters in Bolivia and Paraguay
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Asthenes pyrrholeuca has four subspecies[1]:
- A. p. affinis
- A. p. pyrrholeuca
- North-western Argentina
- A. p. sordida
- Chile (Aconcagua to Aysén); western Argentina (Lake Nahuel Huapí)
- A. p. flavogularis
- Eastern and southern Argentina (Buenos Aires to Santa Cruz)
Habitat
Dry mountain and lowland scrub, and southern grassland.
Behaviour
They nest in the centre of bushes, the nest being a small elongated bowl of twigs. The clutch consists of 3 white eggs. Both parents feed the chicks and fledging occurs within a few weeks. There may be a second brood.
Diet
Their main diet consist of insects such as bugs.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Oct 2017)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Sharp-billed Canastero. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 3 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Sharp-billed_Canastero
