Asthenes coryi
The Ochre-browed Thistletail (Asthenes coryi) is a slender, medium-sized passerine, typically measuring around 16-17 cm in length. Its plumage is generally olive-brown on the upperparts, with a paler, duller underside, creating a rather cryptic appearance that blends seamlessly with its high-altitude environment. The most distinctive field mark, and the origin of its common name, is a prominent ochraceous (yellowish-brown) supercilium, or brow-stripe, which contrasts with a darker loral regio...
This species primarily inhabits high-elevation Puna grassland and shrubland, often frequenting rocky slopes and patches of Polylepis woodland in the central Peruvian Andes. It is found at elevations typically ranging from 3,600 to 4,500 meters above sea level.
The diet of the Ochre-browed Thistletail consists almost exclusively of arthropods, including various insects and spiders, which it gleans from foliage and the ground.
The Ochre-browed Thistletail is a highly active, diurnal bird, typically observed foraging solitarily or in pairs. It spends most of its time gleaning insects and other arthropods from dense low vegetation, grass tussocks, and the ground, often darting between rock crevices and shrubbery. Its for...
The Ochre-browed Thistletail is endemic to the central Peruvian Andes, with its distribution primarily concentrated in the departments of JunÃn and Pasco. It is considered a resident species throughout its range, showing no significant seasonal migrations. Its habitat is restricted to high-elevat...
Least Concern
- The 'Thistletail' in its name refers to the stiff, spiny feather shafts of its tail, a characteristic shared across the Asthenes genus, which helps them maneuver through dense vegetation. - This species is an obligate high-altitude specialist, found exclusively in the rugged Andean Puna grassla...