Description: Robust bird about 18 cm long, with a large body, short tail, and a notably thick, straight, and pointed bill. Its plumage is uniformly lead-gray throughout the body, slightly paler on the underparts, with a light mottling on both sides of the face. The wings and tail are dark grayish, with whitish edges. The iris is reddish, the legs pink, and the bill grayish. Juveniles are similar but show browner tones, a considerably smaller bill, a paler lower mandible, and more pronounced facial mottling.

Geographic distribution: Andean species with a restricted range, extending from southern Peru and western Bolivia to northwestern Argentina. In the country, it inhabits the provinces of Jujuy, Salta, and Tucumán, with populations in the Sierras de Santa Ana, Aconquija, the Calchaquí Ranges, and Cuesta del Obispo, mainly between 3,000 and 3,600 m a.s.l.

Habitat: Lives in rocky areas, ravines, and slopes with high-altitude grasslands and scattered shrubs of the upper altitudinal belt of the Yungas. It prefers microhabitats with rocky outcrops and humid areas with grasses of the genus Festuca.

Diet: Mainly granivorous. It feeds on seeds, bulbs, shoots, and roots that it searches for on the ground, digging with its powerful bill, usually in pairs (https://www.ecoregistros.org/site/video.php?id=5954). Occasionally, it also includes small arthropods in its diet.

Behavior: Mainly discreet, territorial, and silent. It usually moves by walking or making small hops on the ground or among rocks. It is observed alone or in pairs, sometimes in small family groups, maintaining reserved and stealthy behavior. It remains active on the ground, where it searches for food, or perched with a somewhat upright posture on visible rocks, where it stays for a considerable time and appears calm in the presence of humans.

Nesting: Nests in cavities or crevices of rocky walls along rivers.

Conservation status: Species with a very restricted distribution in Northwestern Argentina, with small, localized, and low-frequency populations. Its presence is limited to specific and hard-to-access high Andean environments, which contributes to its rarity and limited knowledge. In Argentina, it is categorized as Insufficiently Known (IC), while internationally it is listed as Near Threatened (NT), due to its fragmented habitat and the pressures derived from livestock grazing and climate change in highland ecosystems.


Authors of this compilation: Diego Carus and Maria Belén Dri - 08/11/2025