Other Scientific Names
Schizoeaca fuliginosa [BirdLife International (2004, 2008)], Schizoeaca fuliginosa [Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)], Schizoeaca fuliginosa [Stotz et al. (1996)]
Other Names (World)
White-chinned Thistletail, Andean Thistletail, White-chinned Spinetail
White-chinned Thistletail (Asthenes fuliginosa) [XC47784]
by Willem-Pier Vellinga from Hu\u00e1nuco: Bosque Unchog, Peru (call)
White-chinned Thistletail (Asthenes fuliginosa) [XC12963]
by David Geale from PNN Chingaza, sector Palacio, Colombia (song?)
Subspecies
Forms a superspecies with other members of genus, as a series of non-overlapping mountain-top replacements, and all sometimes considered conspecific. Their vocalizations seem fairly close, but plumage patterns differ to an extent not found within species-level taxa in the Furnariidae. Is almost certainly paraphyletic with regard to Mouse-colored Thistletail (Asthenes griseomurina) (distribution of which it brackets to the northern and south), which is almost certainly more closely related to a parapatric subspecies (probably nominate) of present species than are latter's northern and southern groups to each other. Nominate subspecies shares with that species a plumage feature (white eyering) not found in southern subspecies peruviana and plengei. Diagnosability of fumigata doubted by some authors, but specimens are readily distinguishable by back colour alone.
The following 4 subspecies are recognised:
fuliginosa (Lafresnaye, 1843) - Western Venezuela (south-western Táchira), Colombia (eastern Andes south to Cundinamarca) and Ecuador (southern on western slope to Pichincha and on eastern slope to north-western Morona-Santiago).
fumigata (Borrero, 1960) - Central Andes of Colombia (southern Caldas south to Nariño).
peruviana (Cory, 1916) - Andes of northern Peru (Amazonas).
plengei (O'Neill & Parker, TA, 1976) - Andes of central Peru (San Martín south to Pasco).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet