A 17–21 cm miner-like bird with uniform cinnamon and brown tones, featuring a very curved, long, decurved bill. Long ochraceous eyebrow, grey-brown back, wings with rufous visible in flight, and brown tail with rufous outer rectrices. Underparts range from pale ochraceous to beige, with a barely marked or nearly uniform chest. It differs from the Slender-billed Miner (Geositta tenuirostris), which is paler, has a shorter and rufous tail, cinnamon-edged wings, a scaled breast, a long but finer bill, and a more typical miner posture. The Common Miner (U. dumetaria) is browner, with streaked head and neck, and a clearly scaled chest.
Subspecies: Jelskii (N Argentina: Jujuy and Salta): Longer and finer bill, paler ventral plumage, less rufous wings, and nearly unscaled chest. Validirostris (S Jujuy through Salta, Tucumán, Catamarca, La Rioja, Mendoza, and W Córdoba): Shorter, thicker and more arched bill, warmer ochraceous ventral tones, and more marked rufous on wings.
Geographical distribution: Andes from south-central Peru and Bolivia to northwestern and west-central Argentina. Found from Jujuy to Mendoza, and in the central ranges of Córdoba. Resident with altitudinal migration. Mostly between 2,800–4,500 m in NW Argentina. In the central sierras, associated with high grasslands above 2,000 m.
Habitat: Open puna and high Andean zones: dry steppes, rocky slopes, sparse grasslands, ravines with low shrubs, and stony environments. Frequent in rocky areas, sandy embankments, scattered shrublands, and sites near wetlands or watercourses.
Behavior: Mainly terrestrial, moving in short runs and hops among rocks and low grass, slightly flicking the tail vertically. Usually solitary or in pairs, occasionally in small groups. Often perches on rocks to sing. Performs short flights among stones. Quite territorial with other species. Emits short calls; its song is a dry, long trill of 10 or more repeated notes.
Diet: Insectivorous. Eats lepidopteran larvae, beetles (adults and larvae), flies, springtails, spiders, and other small invertebrates. Forages among stones and rocky ground, sometimes digging.
Nesting: Nest placed at the end of a 1–1.5 m tunnel excavated in sandy banks or rocky crevices. Chamber lined with dry grasses, hair, and feathers. Lays 2 white eggs. Male performs song-flights as display.
Conservation status: Not considered threatened. In Argentina, common within its distribution range.
Authors of this compilation: Diego Carus and Maria Belén Dri – 06/12/2025