Line-fronted Canastero
Asthenes urubambensis
Small wren-like bird with a long, pointed tail. Warm reddish brown with extensive white streaking on the undersides and face; also look for its thin white eyebrow and small reddish-orange throat patch. Forages singly or in pairs on the ground and in shrubs in low forest near the treeline; particularly likes Polylepis forests. Compared to similar streaked canasteros, which are mostly found in more open, grassy habitats without trees, look for its white eyebrow and unmarked back and wings.
Identification
The line-fronted canastero is 17 to 18 cm (6.7 to 7.1 in) long and weighs 16 to 20 g (0.56 to 0.71 oz). It is a large canastero with a narrow spiny tail. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a conspicuous whitish supercilium that widens past the eye on an otherwise light brownish face with narrow dark brown streaks. Their forehead ("front") is dark brown with well-defined golden-brown stripes that fade on the brown crown. Their hindneck and upperparts are rich brown, the former with blurry light brown streaks that fade on the upper back and pale streaks on the uppertail coverts. Their wings are rich brown with dark fuscous tips on the flight feathers. Their tail is rich brown. Their chin is pale tawny to dark rufous, their upper throat tawny to orange-rufous, and their lower throat light buff-brown with dark brown streaks. Their breast is a paler buff-brown than the throat with wide dark brown and pale buff streaks that fade onto the pale buff belly. Their flanks and undertail coverts are rich brown; the latter have pale streaks. Their iris is brown, their maxilla black to gray-horn, their mandible silver-gray to pinkish, and their legs and feet olive to gray. Subspecies A. u. huallagae has slightly darker and redder upperparts than the nominate, with streaks mostly on the forehead and hindneck. It also has more and whiter streaks on the belly and flanks.
Taxonomy
The line-fronted canastero has two subspecies, the nominate A. u. urubambensis (Chapman, 1919) and A. u. huallagae (Zimmer 1924).
- Scientific name
- Asthenes urubambensis
- Authority
- (Chapman, 1919)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Furnariidae
- Genus
- Asthenes
Range and habitat
The line-fronted canastero has a disjunct distribution. Subspecies A. u. huallagae is found in the Andes of central Peru between the departments of San Martín and Pasco. The nominate subspecies is found in the Andes from the departments of Cuzco and Puno in Peru south into western Bolivia as far as La Paz and Cochabamba departments. The species inhabits the ecotone between timberline and páramo grasslands, a landscape characterized by mossy scrub, Gynoxys and Ribes bushes, and groves of Polylepis trees. In elevation it ranges between 3,050 and 4,300 m (10,000 and 14,100 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The line-fronted canastero is a year-round resident throughout its range.<p>The line-fronted canastero feeds on arthropods. It forages singly or in pairs, gleaning prey from tree branches and shrubs, and less often the ground.<p>Nothing is known about the line-fronted canastero's breeding biology.<p>The line-fronted canastero's song is "an ascending trill"; its call is "a high 'tseut' ".
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Obi Cicadabird
Edolisoma obiense
Small cuckooshrike with a restricted range, found only on Obi and Bisa Islands, in the central Moluccas. Males are mainly gray with black on the face and wing. Distinctive female is mostly rufous-brown, with unmarked buffy underparts, and a gray cap. Found in forest and forest edge habitats. Vocalizations poorly known, but apparently include a long rattling note. The male is similar to male Pale Cicadabird, but is significantly darker, with a mostly black face. The rufous-brown female is completely different from the pale gray female Pale Cicadabird.
Piping Woodcreeper
Deconychura typica
Fairly small, warm brown woodcreeper with buffy spots on breast and vague buffy eyebrow. Note relatively short, straight bill. Very similar to many other species of woodcreepers but smaller than most others in range; tail relatively longer than most other woodcreepers but this is of limited use in field identification. Focus on overall shape, especially the vaguely “pin-headed” look and scruffy feathers on the nape. Generally found in primary forest, usually following a mixed-species flock. Best identified by voice, though not a particularly vocal species. Song is a long, fast series of medium-pitched piping notes that at first speed up and then slow down at the end of the phrase.
Dugand's Antwren
Herpsilochmus dugandi
Handsome antwren found in the canopy of lowland rainforest in eastern Ecuador, northeastern Peru, and southern Colombia. Male is gray with black crown, eye-stripe, and upper tail; wings are black with white bars and tail has white edges. Female is similar but with a brown crown and buffy or yellowish wash on breast. Compared to Ancient Antwren, male Dugand’s lacks yellow on underparts, and female has a brown crown. Usually seen with mixed-species flocks very high in the trees. More easily seen from a canopy tower or walkway if one is available. Song is a fast, accelerating series of dry “chup” notes.
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