Puna Thistletail

About the Puna Thistletail

The puna thistletail (Asthenes helleri) is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Peru and far-western Bolivia. The puna thistletail and eight other species were previously placed in genus Schizoeaca but genetic data showed that the genus is embedded within Asthenes. Some authors considered all of those taxa to be conspecific but the genetic data confirm they are separate species.

The puna thistletail is monotypic. However, the population in the southern part of the species' range might qualify as a subspecies. The puna thistletail is 17 to 18.5 cm (6.7 to 7.3 in) long and weighs 13 to 17 g (0.46 to 0.60 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a brownish gray face with a grayish supercilium. Their crown is dark rufescent-brown with a grayer forehead. Their back, rump, and wings are dark rufescent brown. Their tail is a brighter rufescent brown; it is long and deeply forked with few barbs at the feather ends. Their chin is white, in some areas with a small rufous center. Their throat has a blackish patch with pale gray flecks. Their underparts are mostly gray with a brownish... Wikipedia →