Geositta isabellina
The Creamy-rumped Miner, Geositta isabellina, is a charming medium-sized passerine of the Furnariidae family, native to the high Andes of South America. Measuring approximately 15-17 cm (6-7 inches) in length with a weight typically between 25-35 grams, it presents an overall sandy-brown plumage, distinguished by a prominent creamy-buff rump that serves as its key identifying field mark, especially in flight. Other notable features include a pale supercilium, dark lores, and a slender, slight...
Found in high-altitude Puna grasslands, arid steppes, and rocky slopes of the Andean mountains, typically ranging from 3,000 to 4,500 meters (9,800 to 14,800 feet) above sea level.
Feeds predominantly on insects and other small invertebrates, such as beetle larvae, grasshoppers, and spiders, gleaned from the ground.
This diurnal species is a highly terrestrial bird, often observed walking or running across the ground with a characteristic head-bobbing gait. It forages primarily by probing the soil with its slender bill for invertebrates, as well as gleaning insects from rocks and sparse vegetation. During th...
The Creamy-rumped Miner is endemic to the high-altitude Andes of southern South America, with a fragmented distribution spanning parts of Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia. In Argentina, its range extends from Catamarca south through Patagonia to Chubut, while in Chile, it occurs from the Atacama reg...
Least Concern
- The Creamy-rumped Miner’s most defining feature, its creamy-buff rump, is particularly conspicuous during its undulating flight, providing an excellent identification clue. - Despite its family name, Furnariidae (ovenbirds), derived from the elaborate clay nests of some relatives, the Miner pre...