| Conebills | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chestnut-vented conebill (Conirostrum speciosum) | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Thraupidae |
| Genus: | Conirostrum d'Orbigny &Lafresnaye, 1838 |
| Type species | |
| Conirostrum cinereum d'Orbigny &Lafresnaye, 1838 | |
| Species | |
See text | |
Typicalconebills belong to thetanagergenusConirostrum. They are small tanagers (9–14 cm) found in the forests ofSouth America. They feed in pairs or small flocks bygleaning insects from foliage.
The genus consists of two rather distinctsubgenera:[1] 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 nominateConirostrum subgenus, inhabits the forests of theAndes. They are somewhat more colourful combining grey or blue backs with rufous underparts. Their thin bills led to them being formerly classified aswood-warblers orhoneycreepers but genetic data places them in the tanager familyThraupidae.[2]
The genusConirostrum was introduced in 1838 by the French naturalistsAlcide d'Orbigny andFrédéric de Lafresnaye with thecinereous conebill (Conirostrum cinereum) as thetype species.[3][4] The genus name combines the Latinconus meaning "cone" androstrum meaning "bill".[5] There are now 11 species placed in the genus.[6]
| Image | Common name | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Pearly-breasted conebill | Conirostrum margaritae | Brazil and Peru |
.jpg) | Bicolored conebill | Conirostrum bicolor | Colombia, Venezuela and Trinidad south and east to the Guianas, northeast Peru and Brazil |
 | Chestnut-vented conebill | Conirostrum speciosum | Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela |
_(8079767610).jpg) | White-eared conebill | Conirostrum leucogenys | Colombia, Panama, and Venezuela |
.jpg) | Capped conebill | Conirostrum albifrons | Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela |
.jpg) | Giant conebill | Conirostrum binghami (formerlyOreomanes fraseri) | Colombia to Ecuador, and Peru to Bolivia |
.jpg) | Blue-backed conebill | Conirostrum sitticolor | Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. |
.jpg) | White-browed conebill | Conirostrum ferrugineiventre | Bolivia and Peru |
 | Tamarugo conebill | Conirostrum tamarugense | northern Chile and is a vagrant to southern Peru |
 | Rufous-browed conebill | Conirostrum rufum | Colombia and far western Venezuela |
 | Cinereous conebill | Conirostrum cinereum | Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. |
