Rufous-banded Miner Geositta rufipennis Scientific name definitions

The Rufous-banded Miner is a terrestrial furnariid (Furnariidae) that inhabits arid, montane areas of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile. When walking, it appears to be a rather typical drab, South American miner (Geositta), but in flight, its beautiful rufous wing bands transform the bird's appearance. As many as seven subspecies are currently accepted, of which some warrant further investigation, and some authors have suggested that more than one species may be involved because of the geographic variation in size and color pattern within the complex.

This is a very vocal bird, more often heard than seen, but by no means shy or difficult to find. Its song provides the background for many mountaineers and hikers on their walks. The Rufous-banded Miner is one of the few Geositta species that migrate, with some populations moving to lower elevations to avoid snow during the winter. Although mostly a montane bird, some populations are resident on the coast of northern Chile.