Canasteros and thistletails are the small passerine birds of South America belonging to the genus Asthenes. Canastero is Spanish for 'basket-maker', referring to the large, domed nests these species make of sticks or grass. They inhabit shrublands and grasslands in temperate climates from the lowlands to the highlands. They feed on insects and other invertebrates gleaned from the ground or the low vegetation.
