Grayish Miner Geositta maritima

The Grayish Miner is found in some of the most arid terrain of central to southern Peru and northern Chile. In parts of northern Chile it is known from dry valleys in the absolute desert zone where no vegetation is present. It is unclear what the miner eats in this habitat; the diet may be insects and seeds blown up here by inshore winds. This miner is not found in the coastal plain, but in desert regions generally above 500 m and below 3000 m. Its pale grayish-brown coloration and lack of bold pattern allows it to blend in to the sandy brown and grayish desert habitats it is found in. Nearly nothing is known of the biology of this species, and given how harsh the desert environments it takes to live in, surely researchers will study a plethora of other birds before this one! Similarly little is known of its voice and behavior. Molecular studies suggest it is most closely related to the Dark-winged Miner (Geositta saxicolina).