Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Cordilleran Canastero
Asthenes modesta
Cordilleran Canastero (Asthenes modesta) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Cordilleran Canastero (Asthenes modesta) is a member of the Furnariidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 16.8 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 Asthenes
- Species modesta
Quick facts
- Weight
- 16.8 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Furnariidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Critically Endangered
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Cordilleran Canastero 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 Cordilleran Canastero is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Cordilleran Canastero (Asthenes modesta) is a member of the Furnariidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA Peru through s Argentina.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 16.8 g, with a wing length of about 6.8 cm and a tail of around 7.3 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 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Cordilleran Canastero?
The Cordilleran Canastero is a small bird that weighs around 16.8 g.
Where does the Cordilleran Canastero live?
The Cordilleran Canastero is found across South America with a range covering SA Peru through s Argentina, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Cordilleran Canastero belong to?
The Cordilleran Canastero (Asthenes modesta) belongs to the Furnariidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Cordilleran Canastero eat?
The Cordilleran Canastero is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Cordilleran Canastero migrate?
The Cordilleran Canastero is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Cordilleran Canastero 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 Cordilleran Canastero make?
1 real field recording of the Cordilleran Canastero — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Cordilleran Canastero's range?
The Cordilleran Canastero has a mapped global range of about 2 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.