The maquis canastero, or canastero andino, is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Argentina and Bolivia.
Region
Central Andes
Typical Environment
Occurs in the eastern Andean slopes of southern Bolivia and northwestern Argentina. It favors arid to semi-arid montane shrublands, rocky slopes with sparse bushes, and edges of cactus and thorny matorral. It often uses patchy scrub with bunchgrasses and scattered boulders, staying close to the ground. Polylepis edges and degraded scrub mosaics are also used where cover remains.
Altitude Range
1800–3600 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This canastero is named for its preference for dense montane scrub, where it stays low and skulks through brush. Like many ovenbirds, it builds bulky stick nests that resemble baskets, giving the group its common name. Its stiff, partly graduated tail helps it balance as it clambers through shrubs and over rocky slopes.
Temperament
skulking and wary
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, bounding flights
Social Behavior
Usually found singly or in pairs, sometimes in small family parties. Pairs maintain territories within dense scrub and often keep close to cover. The nest is a bulky stick structure with a side entrance, placed low in shrubs or tussocks.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A quick, dry series of sharp chips and trills that accelerates slightly, often delivered from within cover. Pairs may give antiphonal duets. Call notes are crisp, ticking sounds used to stay in contact.
Plumage
Overall warm brown to rufescent upperparts with fine, subtle streaking on the mantle and back; underparts buffy to grayish with a paler throat. Tail is graduated and rufous with darker subterminal tones; wings show rufous edging. Feathers appear slightly coarse with the tail stiffened for support.
Diet
Primarily small arthropods such as beetles, ants, spiders, and larvae gleaned from foliage, twigs, and ground litter. It probes among shrubs and bunchgrasses and picks prey from rocky crevices. Occasional seeds or plant matter may be taken incidentally.
Preferred Environment
Feeds within dense montane scrub, along rocky slopes, and at shrub–grassland ecotones. It forages close to the ground and inside bushes, using cover to move between feeding spots.
