Conirostrum
Encyclopedia
Typical conebills are the tanager
genus
Conirostrum. They are small tanagers (9–14 cm) found in the forests of South America
. They feed in pairs or small flocks by gleaning
insects from foliage.
The genus consists of two rather distinct subgenera: The first, Ateleodacnis, possibly deserving full generic status, is confined to lowland areas. They are mostly grey in colour and inhabit deciduous woodlands, mangroves or riverbank habitats. The second group, the nominate Conirostrum subgenus, inhabits the forests of the Andes
. They are somewhat more colourful combining grey or blue backs with rufous underparts.
Their thin bills led to them being formerly classified as wood-warblers or honeycreeper
s but genetic data places them firmly in the tanager family and they are now generally considered to belong in the Thraupidae.
The related Giant Conebill
is more distinct, it belongs to the monotypic
genus Oreomanes. The record of an apparent intergeneric hybrid with White-browed Conebill (Oreomanes fraseri x Conirostrum ferrugineiventre) suggests the Giant Conebill may belong in Conirostrum possibly in the nominate subgenus.
Tanager
The tanagers comprise the bird family Thraupidae, in the order Passeriformes. The family has an American distribution.There were traditionally about 240 species of tanagers, but the taxonomic treatment of this family's members is currently in a state of flux...
genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Conirostrum. They are small tanagers (9–14 cm) found in the forests of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. They feed in pairs or small flocks by gleaning
Gleaning (birds)
Gleaning is a term for a feeding strategy by birds in which they catch invertebrate prey, mainly arthropods, by plucking them from foliage or the ground, from crevices such as rock faces and under the eaves of houses, or even, as in the case of ticks and lice, from living animals. This behavior is...
insects from foliage.
The genus consists of two rather distinct subgenera: The first, Ateleodacnis, possibly deserving full generic status, is confined to lowland areas. They are mostly grey in colour and inhabit deciduous woodlands, mangroves or riverbank habitats. The second group, the nominate Conirostrum subgenus, inhabits the forests of the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
. They are somewhat more colourful combining grey or blue backs with rufous underparts.
Their thin bills led to them being formerly classified as wood-warblers or honeycreeper
Honeycreeper
The typical honeycreepers are small birds in the tanager family. They are found in the tropical New World from Mexico south to Brazil.They occur in the forest canopy, and, as the name implies, they are specialist nectar feeders with long curved bills....
s but genetic data places them firmly in the tanager family and they are now generally considered to belong in the Thraupidae.
The related Giant Conebill
Giant Conebill
The Giant Conebill Oreomanes fraseri is a small passerine bird, one of the tanager family. The only member of the genus Oreomanes it is closely related to the regular conebills Conirostrum though it differs in its larger size and nuthatch-like foraging habits.The Giant Conebill is in length and...
is more distinct, it belongs to the monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
genus Oreomanes. The record of an apparent intergeneric hybrid with White-browed Conebill (Oreomanes fraseri x Conirostrum ferrugineiventre) suggests the Giant Conebill may belong in Conirostrum possibly in the nominate subgenus.
Species list
- Subgenus Ateleodacnis
- Chestnut-vented ConebillChestnut-vented ConebillThe Chestnut-vented Conebill is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family.It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela....
, Conirostrum speciosum - White-eared ConebillWhite-eared ConebillThe White-eared Conebill is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family.It is found in Colombia, Panama, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and heavily degraded former forest.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 25 July...
, Conirostrum leucogenys - Bicolored ConebillBicolored ConebillThe Bicolored Conebill, Conirostrum bicolor, is a small passerine bird. This member of the tanager family is a resident breeder in South America from Colombia, Venezuela and Trinidad south and east to the Guianas, northeast Peru and Brazil....
, Conirostrum bicolor - Pearly-breasted ConebillPearly-breasted ConebillThe Pearly-breasted Conebill is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family.It is found in Brazil and Peru. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
, Conirostrum margaritae
- Chestnut-vented Conebill
- Subgenus Conirostrum
- Cinereous ConebillCinereous ConebillThe Cinereous Conebill is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family. The term cinereous describes its colouration. It is found in Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru...
, Conirostrum cinereum - Tamarugo ConebillTamarugo ConebillThe Tamarugo Conebill is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family.It is found in Chile and Peru, and receives its name from the tamarugo, a type of shrub to which is closely associated....
, Conirostrum tamarugense - White-browed ConebillWhite-browed ConebillThe White-browed Conebill is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family.It is found in Bolivia and Peru.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.-References:...
, Conirostrum ferrugineiventre - Rufous-browed ConebillRufous-browed ConebillThe Rufous-browed Conebill is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family.It is found in Colombia and Venezuela.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montanes and subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland....
, Conirostrum rufum - Blue-backed ConebillBlue-backed ConebillThe Blue-backed Conebill is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family .It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.- Sub-species :...
, Conirostrum sitticolor - Capped ConebillCapped ConebillThe Capped Conebill is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family.It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and heavily degraded former forest.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded...
, Conirostrum albifrons
- Cinereous Conebill