Bird Guide

Sharp-billed Canastero vs Short-billed Canastero

Sharp-billed Canastero (Asthenes pyrrholeuca)

Sharp-billed Canastero

Asthenes pyrrholeuca

Tiny13 gShrubland

The sharp-billed canastero is 14 to 15 cm (5.5 to 5.9 in) long and weighs 12 to 14 g (0.42 to 0.49 oz). It is one of the smaller canasteros, with a pointed bill that is thinner than those of most others. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a gray-brown face with a paler supercilium. Their crown is dull brown, their back and rump a slightly paler brown, and their uppertail coverts long and browner. Their wings are mostly dull rufescent brown. Voice: The sharp-billed canastero's song is "a 2-note trill, 'tsee-ee-ee-ee, tsee-ee-ee-ee' " and its contact call "a rising 'sweep' ".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: ferferrari · CC0
Short-billed Canastero (Asthenes baeri)

Short-billed Canastero

Asthenes baeri

Small18 gShrubland

The short-billed canastero is 14 to 15 cm (5.5 to 5.9 in) long and weighs 10 to 18 g (0.35 to 0.63 oz). It has a short and thick bill, and is more similar to the wholly unrelated little thornbird (Phacellodomus sibilatrix) than to other canasteros. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have an indistinct wide grayish supercilium on an otherwise dull grayish brown face. Their crown is dull gray-brown, their back a slightly grayer brown, and their rump and uppertail coverts gray with a brown tinge. Voice: The short-billed canastero's song is "a high-pitched, fast seep seep seepseepseep..., speeding up to and ending in a trill". Sometimes the introductory notes are omitted. It also gives a "series of short, buzzing 'pzzz' phrases.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Megustanlasframbuesas · CC0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Sharp-billed Canastero and Short-billed Canastero.