Photo: Nick Athanas / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Puna Thistletail
Asthenes helleri
Puna Thistletail (Asthenes helleri) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Puna Thistletail (Asthenes helleri) is a member of the Furnariidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 15.3 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 helleri
Quick facts
- Weight
- 15.3 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Furnariidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Puna Thistletail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Puna Thistletail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Puna Thistletail (Asthenes helleri) belongs to the Furnariidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA s Peru and n Bolivia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 15.3 g, with a wing length of about 5.3 cm and a tail of around 9.7 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 43,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Puna Thistletail?
The Puna Thistletail is a small bird that weighs around 15.3 g.
Where does the Puna Thistletail live?
The Puna Thistletail is found across South America with a range covering SA s Peru and n Bolivia, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Puna Thistletail belong to?
The Puna Thistletail (Asthenes helleri) belongs to the Furnariidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Puna Thistletail eat?
The Puna Thistletail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Puna Thistletail migrate?
The Puna Thistletail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Puna Thistletail 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 Puna Thistletail make?
1 real field recording of the Puna Thistletail — 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 Puna Thistletail's range?
The Puna Thistletail has a mapped global range of about 43,000 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
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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.