Dusky-tailed Canastero

Overview

The dusky-tailed canastero, Pseudasthenes humicola, is a species of bird in the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is endemic to Chile and currently assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Identification

• Size and plumage: 14–16 cm long and 18–24 g, with a narrow whitish supercilium on a dark grey-brown face and brown upperparts.
• Underparts: Whitish throat with black flecks, streaked upper breast, unstreaked belly, and rufescent brown flanks.
• Bill and legs: Dull black maxilla with a bluish-grey mandible and greenish to grey legs.
• Song: Includes squeaky disyllabic notes and a long, descending dry rattling trill, with a short, sharp 'tsik' call year-round.

Habitat

Endemic to Chile, ranging from the Antofagasta Region in the north to the Araucanía Region in the south. In the north, it inhabits deserts with shrubs and dry forest edges, while in the central and south, it occupies semi-arid steppe and forest edges up to 1,800 m elevation. It avoids populated areas.

Diet

Feeds primarily on arthropods, supplemented by berries and seeds. It forages alone or in pairs, moving among the branches of shrubs and trees to capture prey.

Did you know?

Both members of a breeding pair construct a covered basket nest made of thorny twigs, suspended from a forked branch or cactus and lined with horsehair and feathers.