Identification: A 18–19 cm miner with overall pale coloration and a long, slender, almost straight bill, slightly decurved at the tip. Fine, elongated white eyebrow contrasting with the brown face. Upperparts rufous-brown, darker toward the south, with slightly more rufous wings. Long tail, rufous at the base with dark tips, inner rectrices broadly dark and outer ones nearly entirely rufous. Throat and malar white; whitish breast with faint brown streaking that continues diffusely along the flanks. Underparts pale ochraceous. Legs dark gray to blackish. Sexes similar. Juvenile more rufous, with pale edges on crown and back. In the NW it may coexist with the Chestnut-tailed Miner (O. andaecola), which has a shorter and more curved bill, tail lacking a dark center, and more marked ventral scaling. In Patagonia it could coexist with the Patagonian Miner (O. phoenicurus), which is brownish-gray, has extensive black in the tail, and a more noticeable eyebrow.
Geographic distribution: Andes from southern Peru and western Bolivia, across all northern Chile, and the Andes and precordillera of Argentina from Jujuy and Salta down to western Río Negro and northern Santa Cruz; from 1,000 to 4,500 m depending on region. Mainly resident, with post-breeding downhill altitudinal migration in some populations.
Habitat: Arid and rocky environments of the Puna, large cliffs in Monte de Bolsones, rocky slopes and walls, ravines and riverbanks throughout the Andes and precordillera.
Behavior: Usually solitary or in pairs. Very terrestrial: hops and searches for food on the ground among rocks, and also climbs cliffs using the tail as support, often holding it nearly vertically. Shy and elusive; quickly hides in crevices if disturbed. Song consists of a fast, tense, somewhat plaintive series. Call is loud and sharp.
Diet: Arthropods and their larvae obtained by pecking among stones and sandy substrates, alone and using a slow but steady foraging method.
Breeding: Nest made of fine grasses, hair, and feathers at the end of a tunnel several decimeters long in ravines or rock crevices. Lays 2 eggs.
Conservation status: Species not currently considered threatened. Uncommon but widespread and with no known threats.
Authors of this compilation: Diego Carus and Maria Belén Dri – 06/12/2025