Ovenbirds (Furnariidae)

Creamy-breasted Canastero (Asthenes dorbignyi) - HBW 8, p. 308

French: Synallaxe d’Orbigny German: Rostbürzelcanastero Spanish: Canastero Rojizo
Other common names: Black-winged Spinetail; Pale-tailed Canastero (huancavelicae); White-tailed Canastero (usheri)

Taxonomy: Bathmidura Dorbignyi Reichenbach, 1853, Palca, Cochabamba, Bolivia.
Forms a species group, and possibly a superspecies, with A. berlepschi, also including probably A. steinbachi and A. baeri and possibly A. patagonica. May be conspecific with first of those, and considered by some to be conspecific with second of them. In some aspects of plumage, tail structure, behaviour, voice and nest structure, all are more similar to Phacellodomus (especially P. striaticeps) and possibly better placed in that genus. Races huancavelicae and usheri, with distinctive vocal differences from others, sometimes treated as one or two separate species. Browner-backed, paler-faced populations from Chile and W Bolivia are probably intergrades between arequipae and either consobrina or nominate. In addition, two highly distinctive populations in C Peru (Ancash, Lima, Huánuco and Ayacucho) represent undescribed races or possibly separate species. Present taxonomic treatment traditional but considered unsatisfactory; formal revision required. Five subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

huancavelicae Morrison, 1938 - Andes of W & SC Peru (locally in Ancash, also Huancavelica and Ayacucho).
usheri Morrison, 1947 - Andes of SC Peru (Apurímac).
arequipae (P. L. Sclater & Salvin, 1869) - Andes of SW Peru (Arequipa S to Tacna and S Puno), N Chile (Tarapacá) and W Bolivia (SW La Paz, NW Oruro).

See all 5 subspecies

huancavelicae Morrison, 1938 - Andes of W & SC Peru (locally in Ancash, also Huancavelica and Ayacucho).
usheri Morrison, 1947 - Andes of SC Peru (Apurímac).
arequipae (P. L. Sclater & Salvin, 1869) - Andes of SW Peru (Arequipa S to Tacna and S Puno), N Chile (Tarapacá) and W Bolivia (SW La Paz, NW Oruro).
consobrina Hellmayr, 1925 - Andes of SW Bolivia (SE La Paz, NE Oruro, N Potosí).
dorbignyi Reichenbach, 1853 - Andes of C & S Bolivia (Cochabamba S to E Potosí and Tarija) and NW Argentina (Jujuy S to Mendoza).