Common Miner

Overview

The common miner, Geositta cunicularia, is a passerine bird belonging to the subfamily Sclerurinae within the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, though its population is believed to be decreasing despite a very large range.

Identification

• Medium-sized at 14 to 17 cm long, weighing 20 to 34 g, with sexes alike in appearance.
• Nominate subspecies feature a pale brownish face with a wide whitish supercilium, dull grayish brown upperparts with dark brown spots on the crown, and a buff-white breast with wavy brownish streaks.
• Flight feathers display a wide pale rufous band, while the tail has buff-whitish bases and blackish ends.
• The nominate subspecies sings two notes sounding like "ta whit-ta whit" during display flight, with a nasal "dee-dijer" flight call; other subspecies produce a loud, shrill "de-dirr-rr-rrr".

Habitat

Found across Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay, the species inhabits open landscapes including puna and temperate grasslands, arid lowland scrublands, and moister restinga scrublands. These environments tend to be flat to gently sloping with sandy soils, short grass, and scattered rocks or shrubs, ranging in elevation from sea level to 5,000 m.

Diet

The common miner forages singly or in pairs, gleaning food from the ground while hopping rather than walking. Its diet consists mostly of arthropods, including adult and larval flies and beetles, with seeds serving as a minor component.

Did you know?

The species constructs its nest by excavating a horizontal tunnel with an enlarged chamber at the end in an earthen bank or slope, padding the interior with grass, hair, feathers, and other soft material.