Bird Guide

Common Miner vs White-throated Treerunner

Common Miner (Geositta cunicularia)

Common Miner

Geositta cunicularia

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The common miner is a medium-size member of its genus. It is 14 to 17 cm (5.5 to 6.7 in) long and weighs 20 to 34 g (0.71 to 1.2 oz). The sexes are alike. The nominate subspecies G. c. cunicularia has a pale brownish face with a wide whitish supercilium and a vague darker "moustache" and line behind the eye. It has a dull grayish brown crown and upperparts; the former has dark brown spots. Its uppertail coverts are dull grayish brown with pale brownish tips. Its tail feathers have buff-whitish bases and blackish ends with pale rufescent between them. Voice: The common miner sings during a display flight. The nominate subspecies's song is two notes sounding like "ta whit-ta whit" and its flight call is "a nasal 'dee-dijer' or 'er?' ". The other subspecies sing "a loud, shrill...'de-dirr-rr-rrr' " and their flight calls are "a high-pitched 'keep' or rich, sweet 'pip' ". All subspecies make trilled notes as well.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom · CC BY 2.0
White-throated Treerunner (Pygarrhichas albogularis)

White-throated Treerunner

Pygarrhichas albogularis

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The white-throated treerunner is 15–16 cm (5.9–6.3 in) long on average, with a weight between 20–27 grams (0.71–0.95 oz). It has an appearance reminiscent of the nuthatch, with its overall look and plumage, unlike other species in the Furnariidae. Wing chord is from 76–86 mm (3.0–3.4 in), tail is 52–65 mm (2.0–2.6 in), and torso from 20–23.7 mm (0.79–0.93 in). The iris is dark brown. It has a long beak, at around 16–23.8 mm (0.63–0.94 in) with a slight upward curve. Its upper mandible is dark gray and lower mandible a whitish-pale gray. The feet are dark gray, blackish or brown. Voice: The white-throated treerunner gives off a short and piercing cry, evoking a rapid succession of water droplets. Its contact call is described as a loud, fast, metallic "kik-ik", "tsi-ik" or "tsik", which is repeated rapidly. The treerunner can also emit a sonorous "peet peet", and during flight, a dry "tic".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Darío De la Fuente · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Common Miner and White-throated Treerunner.