| Cactus canastero | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Furnariidae |
| Genus: | Pseudasthenes |
| Species: | P. cactorum |
| Binomial name | |
| Pseudasthenes cactorum (Koepcke, 1959) | |
 | |
Thecactus canastero (Pseudasthenes cactorum) is a species ofbird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbirdfamilyFurnariidae. It isendemic toPeru.[2]
The cactus canastero was long placed in genusAsthenes. Beginning in 2010 it and three other members ofAsthenes were moved to the newly coined genusPseudasthenes.[3] Beyond that move, its taxonomy is unsettled. TheInternational Ornithological Committee andBirdLife International'sHandbook of the Birds of the World treat it asmonotypic.[2][4] TheClements taxonomy assigns it two subspecies, thenominateP. c. cactorum (Koepcke, 1959) andP. c. lachayensis (Keopcke, 1965).[5] However, the two putative taxa "appear to be products ofclinal variation combined with differences in degree of plumage wear, and described characters do not permit diagnosis of individual specimens".[6]
This article follows the monotypic species model.
The cactus canastero is 13 to 14 cm (5.1 to 5.5 in) long and weighs 16 to 19 g (0.56 to 0.67 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a pale buffsupercilium, fuscouslores and stripe behind the eye, and dull buff earcoverts. Their crown and upperparts are uniform plain dull brown. Their wing coverts are mostly dull rufous and their flight feathers dull fuscous with a rufous patch that shows as a band on the closed wing. Their tail's central pair of feathers are brown, the next two pairs dull dark fuscous with tawny edges on the outer webs, the next pair rufous with dark fuscous edges near their base, and the outer two pairs almost entirely rufous. Their chin and center of their throat are pale orange-tawny; their breast and the rest of their underparts are pale buff. Their iris is brown, theirmaxilla black to gray, theirmandible blue-gray with a blackish tip, and their legs and feet gray-brown to black.[6]
The cactus canastero is found on the west slope of the Andes in Peru, in theDepartment of La Libertad and then from theDepartment of Lima south to theDepartment of Arequipa. It inhabits arid montane scrublands with scattered bushes and columnar cacti. In elevation it ranges between 50 and 2,500 m (160 and 8,200 ft).[6]
The cactus canastero is a year-round resident throughout its range.[6]
Little is known about the diet or feeding behavior of the cactus canastero. It is usually seen singly or in pairs and is believed to gleanarthropods from the ground, rocks, cacti, and maybe low vegetation.[6]
The cactus canastero breeds in theaustral spring and summer. It is thought to be monogamous and nests in columnar cacti. Nothing else is known about its breeding biology.[6]
| Songs and calls |
The cactus canastero's song is "a weak, dry trill lasting up to 6 seconds" and its call a "low-pitched, fast, dry trill" that is often repeated.[6]
TheIUCN has assessed the cactus canastero as being of Least Concern. It has a large range and an unknown population size that is believed to be decreasing. No immediate threats have been identified.[1] It is poorly known and considered uncommon. Its "[h]abitat is subjected to at least moderate overgrazing".[6]
