''Geositta'' is a
genus of
passerine birds
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...
in the
ovenbird family, Furnariidae. They are known as miners (not to be confused with the unrelated miners, ''
Manorina'', of
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
) due to the tunnels they dig for nesting. There are 11 species including the
campo miner (''Geositta poeciloptera'') which was formerly classified in a genus of its own, ''Geobates''. They inhabit open country in
South America, particularly the
Andean and
Patagonian regions. They are ground-dwelling birds, somewhat resembling the
larks and
wheatears of other continents. They are mostly drab brown in coloration and often have a fairly long and slender
bill.
Species list
The genus contains 11 species:
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 08/06/07.
Bird genera
{{Furnariidae-stub