Cordilleran Canastero (Asthenes modesta) [XC449836]
by Peter Boesman from Farellones road, Regi\u00f3n Metropolitana, Chile (call)
Cordilleran Canastero (Asthenes modesta) [XC272758]
by Cristian Pinto from Mountains east of Yavi, Jujuy, Argentina (song)
Subspecies
Forms a superspecies with Cactus Canastero (Pseudasthenes cactorum), and sometimes considered conspecific. Nominate subspecies apparently varies clinally in back colour, darkest in north, palest and sandiest in south.
Proposed subspecies navasi, from southern Argentina, described as differing from australis in biometrics (significantly shorter bill, longer wing and tail), but overlap in measurements prevents diagnosis of many specimens.
The following 7 subspecies are recognised:
proxima (Chapman, 1921) - Andes of central and southern Peru (Junín south to Cuzco).
modesta (Eyton, 1851) - Andes of south-western Peru (Arequipa, Puno) and western Bolivia (western La Paz, Oruro, Potosí) south to northern Chile (Tarapacá, Antofagasta) and north-western Argentina (Jujuy, Salta, Catamarca).
rostrata (von Berlepsch, 1901) - Central Bolivia (eastern slope in La Paz and Cochabamba).
hilereti (Oustalet, 1904) - Andes of north-western Argentina (Sierra de Aconquija and Cumbres Calchaquíes, in Tucumán and Catamarca).
australis Hellmayr, 1925 - Central and southern Chile (Andes from southern Atacama south to Colchagua, lowlands in Aisén and northern Magallanes) and western and southern Argentina (Andes southern from La Rioja, and lowlands from La Pampa, and Serranías de Ventania in south-western Buenos Aires, south to Santa Cruz).
serrana Nores, 1986 - Cerro Famatina, in La Rioja (western Argentina).
cordobae Nores & Yzurieta, 1980 - Córdoba (Sierras Grandes, Sierra de Comechingones) and north-eastern San Luis (Sierra de San Luis), in central Argentina.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet