Identification
Scarce to locally fairly common (rare in Chile) nomadic bird of Polylepis woodland in the high Andes. Found as singles or pairs, foraging by creeping on trunks and branches of Polylepis trees, at times in association with mixed-species feeding flocks. Can be confiding, and at other times may fly off long distances in search of other Polylepis patches. No similar species: note pointed bill, white cheeks, and bright rusty underparts, which blend well with Polylepis bark.