Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Common Miner
Geositta cunicularia
Common Miner (Geositta cunicularia) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Common Miner (Geositta cunicularia) is a member of the Furnariidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 28.5 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Furnariidae Ovenbirds
- Genus Geositta
- Species cunicularia
Quick facts
- Weight
- 28.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Furnariidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Common Miner is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Common Miner is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Common Miner (Geositta cunicularia) is a member of the Furnariidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA s, w.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 28.5 g, with a wing length of about 9 cm and a tail of around 5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 2.9 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Common Miner?
The Common Miner is a small bird that weighs around 28.5 g.
Where does the Common Miner live?
The Common Miner is found across South America with a range covering SA s, w, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Common Miner belong to?
The Common Miner (Geositta cunicularia) belongs to the Furnariidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Common Miner eat?
The Common Miner is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Common Miner migrate?
The Common Miner is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Common Miner endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Common Miner make?
1 real field recording of the Common Miner — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Common Miner's range?
The Common Miner has a mapped global range of about 2.9 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Meet the Furnariidae
A field guide to the Furnariidae family — 321 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.