The nominate subspecies G. c. cunicularia has a pale brownish face with a wide whitish supercilium and a vague darker "moustache" and line behind the eye.

[5] The other subspecies of the common miner differ from the nominate and each other thus:[5] The subspecies of the common miner are found thus:[5] Though the International Ornithological Committee includes Paraguay in the range of cunicularia, the South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society has no records in that country.

Most are flat to gently sloping and have sandy soils, short grass, and scattered rocks and shrubs.

[5] The Andean subspecies of the common miner appear to be mostly year-round residents but make some movement downslope after the breeding season.

Its diet is mostly arthropods including adult and larval flies and beetles; seeds are a minor component.

[5] The common miner breeds in the austral summer, generally between September and December.

The nominate subspecies's song is two notes sounding like "ta whit-ta whit" and its flight call is "a nasal 'dee-dijer' or 'er?'

The other subspecies sing "a loud, shrill...'de-dirr-rr-rrr' " and their flight calls are "a high-pitched 'keep' or rich, sweet 'pip' ".

[1] In habitats with light to moderate human disturbance it is considered common to locally abundant.