Asthenes helleri
The Puna Thistletail (*Asthenes helleri*) is a small, enigmatic furnariid, measuring approximately 16-18 cm (6.3-7.1 inches) in length, endemic to the high-altitude Puna region of the Andes. Its plumage is generally drab, characterized by brownish-rufous to olive-brown upperparts and paler, buffy-brown underparts, often with a faint streaking visible upon close inspection. A subtle pale supercilium and dark lores can aid identification in the field, though its most distinctive feature is its ...
Inhabits high-altitude Puna grasslands and shrublands, primarily among dense tussock grasses and scattered low shrubs like *Chuquiraga* and *Polylepis*. Found at elevations typically ranging from 3,000 to 4,700 meters (9,800 to 15,400 feet).
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a variety of insects and other small invertebrates gleaned from dense vegetation.
The Puna Thistletail is a characteristically secretive and restless bird, typically observed alone or in pairs. It forages actively, almost mousily, within the dense cover of tussock grasses and low-growing Andean shrubs, meticulously gleaning insects and other small invertebrates from foliage an...
The Puna Thistletail is restricted to the high Andes of southern Peru and western Bolivia, inhabiting a relatively continuous, albeit narrow, elevational band. In Peru, its distribution extends from the departments of Cusco and Puno. Further south, it is found across much of western Bolivia, incl...
Least Concern
- The Puna Thistletail's scientific name, *helleri*, honors American zoologist Edmund Heller. - Its distinctive spiny tail feathers are an adaptation, thought to provide support while clambering through dense, stiff vegetation. - Despite its drab appearance, it is a master of camouflage, blending...