Canasteros and thistletails are small passerine birds of South America belonging to the genus ''Asthenes''. The name "canastero" comes from Spanish and means "basket-maker", referring to the large, domed nests these species make of sticks or grass. They inhabit

shrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity. It m ...

s and grasslands in temperate climates from the lowlands to the highlands. They feed on insects and other invertebrates gleaned from the ground or the low vegetation.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Asthenes'' was introduced in 1853 by the German naturalist

Ludwig Reichenbach Heinrich Gottlieb Ludwig Reichenbach (8 January 1793 – 17 March 1879) was a German botanist and ornithologist. It was he who first requested Leopold Blaschka to make a set of glass marine invertebrate models for scientific education and museu ...

. The name is from Ancient Greek ''asthenēs'' meaning "insignificant". The type species was designated by George Robert Gray in 1855 as ''Synallaxis sordida'' Lesson. This taxon is now considered to be a

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of the

sharp-billed canastero The sharp-billed canastero or lesser canastero (''Asthenes pyrrholeuca'') is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae, the ovenbirds. The sharp-billed canastero is a resident breeding species in central and southern Argentina and the eas ...

(''Asthenes pyrrholeuca sordida''). In 2010, it was discovered that the thistletails and the

Itatiaia spinetail The Itatiaia spinetail (''Asthenes moreirae''), also known as the Itatiaia thistletail, is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae. It was previously placed as the only member of the genus ''Oreophylax''; however, recent classification has ...

, formerly placed in their own genera (''Schizoeaca'' and ''Oreophylax'', respectively), are actually part of a rapid radiation of long-tailed ''Asthenes''. At the same time, four species, the cactus, dusky-tailed,

Steinbach's Steinbach was a department store chain based in Asbury Park, New Jersey with locations throughout the United States northeast. It opened in 1870 and was purchased by Supermarkets General Corporation (SGC) in the 1960s, and was shuttered in earl ...

and

Patagonian canastero The Patagonian canastero (''Pseudasthenes patagonica'') is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae. It is endemic to Argentina. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bus ...

s, were split off into the new genus ''

Pseudasthenes ''Pseudasthenes'' is a genus of small suboscine passerine birds, commonly known as canasteros or false canasteros, in the ovenbird family. It was described in 2010 to accommodate four species split from the related genus '' Asthenes''. The ...

''.

Species

The genus contains 30 species: *

Perijá thistletail The Perija thistletail (''Asthenes perijana'') is an Endangered species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is endemic to the Perijá Mountains in Colombia and Venezuela.Clements, J. F., P.C. Rasmu ...

(''Asthenes perijana'') *

White-chinned thistletail The white-chinned thistletail, or colicardo barbiblanco in Ecuador, (''Asthenes fuliginosa'') is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Ta ...

(''Asthenes fuliginosa'') * Vilcabamba thistletail (''Asthenes vilcabambae'') *

Ayacucho thistletail The Ayacucho thistletail (''Asthenes ayacuchensis'') is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae. It is endemic to northern Ayacucho, Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forest and subtropical or tropical hig ...

(''Asthenes ayacuchensis'') *

Ochre-browed thistletail The ochre-browed thistletail (''Asthenes coryi'') is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae. It is endemic to western Venezuela. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland. References ochre-browed thi ...

(''Asthenes coryi'') *

Mouse-colored thistletail The mouse-colored thistletail (''Asthenes griseomurina'') is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Ecuador and Peru. Taxonomy and systematics The mouse-colored thistletail and many ...

(''Asthenes griseomurina'') * Eye-ringed thistletail (''Asthenes palpebralis'') *

Puna thistletail The puna thistletail (''Asthenes helleri'') is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae. It is found in Peru and Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red ...

(''Asthenes helleri'') * Black-throated thistletail (''Asthenes harterti'') *

(''Asthenes moreirae'') *

Sharp-billed canastero The sharp-billed canastero or lesser canastero (''Asthenes pyrrholeuca'') is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae, the ovenbirds. The sharp-billed canastero is a resident breeding species in central and southern Argentina and the eas ...

(''Asthenes pyrrholeuca'') * Short-billed canastero (''Asthenes baeri'') * Canyon canastero (''Asthenes pudibunda'') * Rusty-fronted canastero (''Asthenes ottonis'') *

Maquis canastero The maquis canastero, iquico or iquico canastero (''Asthenes heterura'') is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae. It is found in the Yungas of Argentina and Bolivia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montan ...

(''Asthenes heterura'') *

Cordilleran canastero The cordilleran canastero (''Asthenes modesta'') is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. Its natural habitats are temperate grassland and subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland ...

(''Asthenes modesta'') * Streak-throated canastero, (''Asthenes humilis'') *

Rusty-vented canastero The rusty-vented canastero (''Asthenes dorbignyi''), or creamy-breasted canastero, is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae. Taxonomy and systematics The rusty-vented canastero was originally described in the genus '' Bathmidura'' (a sy ...

(''Asthenes dorbignyi'') *

Dark-winged canastero The dark-winged canastero, or Arequipa canastero, (''Asthenes arequipae'') is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. Taxonomy and systematics The dark-wi ...

(''Asthenes arequipae'') * Pale-tailed canastero (''Asthenes huancavelicae'') * Berlepsch's canastero (''Asthenes berlepschi'') *

Cipo canastero The Cipo canastero (''Asthenes luizae'') is a Near Threatened species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is endemic to Brazil. Taxonomy and systematics The Cipo canastero was described in 1990 fr ...

(''Asthenes luizae'') * Streak-backed canastero (''Asthenes wyatti'') * Puna canastero (''Asthenes sclateri'') *

Austral canastero The austral canastero (''Asthenes anthoides'') is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae, the ovenbirds. It is found in southern Argentina and Chile, including Tierra del Fuego. It is at least partially migratory, and its range extends ...

(''Asthenes anthoides'') * Hudson's canastero (''Asthenes hudsoni'') * Line-fronted canastero (''Asthenes urubambensis'') * Many-striped canastero (''Asthenes flammulata'') * Junín canastero (''Asthenes virgata'') * Scribble-tailed canastero (''Asthenes maculicauda'')

Description

They are typically long and slim with long tails and thin, pointed bills. They are mostly dull and brown in colour but vary in tail pattern and presence of streaking. They have trilling songs.

Distribution and habitat

Most species occur in open country, including mesic to arid

scrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominance (ecology), dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, Herbaceous plant, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or ...

s and grasslands. Some species inhabit dry forests. Only three species are migratory.

References

*Jaramillo, Alvaro; Burke, Peter & Beadle, David (2003) ''Field Guide to the Birds of Chile'', Christopher Helm, London *South American Classification Committee (2007)
A classification of the bird species of South America, part 6
'. Retrieved 17/07/07. * Taxa named by Ludwig Reichenbach {{Furnariidae-stub