| Canasteros | |
|---|---|
| Austral Canastero (Asthenes anthoides) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Furnariidae |
| Genus: | Asthenes L. Reichenbach, 1853 |
| Species | |
|
Around 23, see list |
|
Canasteros are small passerine birds of South America. The name "canastero" comes from Spanish and means "basket-maker", referring to their large, domed nests made of sticks or grass. They feed on insects and other invertebrates.
Contents |
There are about 20 species which belong to the genus Asthenes in the ovenbird family Furnariidae. In 2010 four species, the Cactus, Dusky-tailed, Steinbach's and Patagonian Canasteros, were split off into the new genus Pseudasthenes.[1]
They are typically 15–18 cm 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.
Most species occur in open country and scrubland in southern South America and the Andes.