Family Ovenbirds (Furnariidae)

Least Concern

Rock Earthcreeper (Ochetorhynchus andaecola)

figure, drawing, illustration of Rock Earthcreeper (Ochetorhynchus andaecola)

Taxonomy

French: Chilia des Andes German: Rostschwanz-Erdhacker Spanish: Bandurrita roquera
Taxonomy:

Uppucerthia [sic] andæcola

d’Orbigny and Lafresnaye

, 1838,

Sicasica, La Paz, Bolivia

.

Previously placed in Upucerthia. Monotypic.

Distribution:

Andes of Bolivia (La Paz S to Potosí), extreme NE Chile (E Antofagasta) and NW Argentina (Jujuy, Salta, N Catamarca).

Descriptive notes

16–18 cm; 28–34 g. Medium-sized earthcreeper with long, slightly decurved bill. Has buff supercilium, dark brownish postocular band, buff lower face; crown and... read more

Voice

Song a piercing “veetveet-veeveeveeveeveee-veet-viree-veetveevee”; a variable-length... read more

Habitat

Arid montane scrub; locally in puna grassland with rocky arid slopes and ravines with... read more

Food and feeding

Arthropods, which are gleaned and extracted from ground. Usually forages solitarily.

Breeding

Season evidently during austral summer; eggs, nestlings and fledglings in Nov in Argentina. Presumably monogamous. Nest at end of tunnel c... read more

Movements

Resident.

Status and conservation

Not globally threatened. Uncommon to fairly common. Habitat occupied is reasonably secure, with overgrazing the only human disturbance.

Recommended citation

Remsen, J.V., Jr (2019). Rock Earthcreeper (Ochetorhynchus andaecola). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/56372 on 13 December 2019).