Family Tanagers (Thraupidae)

Least Concern

White-eared Conebill (Conirostrum leucogenys)

Taxonomy

French: Conirostre oreillard German: Weißohr-Spitzschnabel Spanish: Conirrostro orejiblanco

Taxonomy:

Dacnis leucogenys

Lafresnaye

, 1852,

Bogotá, Colombia

See C. margaritae. Three subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution

C. l. panamense (Griscom, 1927) – E Panama (from Gulf of San Miguel E to Darién) and NW Colombia (Sinú Valley in Córdoba).

C. l. leucogenys (Lafresnaye, 1852) – N Colombia (Sucre, Atlántico, Magdalena and Cesar, and S in Magdalena Valley to Huila; E of Andes in Catatumbo lowlands of Norte de Santander) and adjacent W Venezuela (E across Zulia, Falcón and Yaracuy to Carabobo, in coastal cordillera).

C. l. cyanochroum (Todd, 1924) – W Venezuela in foothills of Sierra de Perijá and W base of Andes (Mérida).

Descriptive notes

9·5 cm; c. 7 g. Small, short-tailed conebill with thin, sharply pointed bill. Male nominate race has crown and nape shiny black, contrasting white cheek and ear-coverts;... read more

Voice

Song a high, thin, tinkling series of notes, “tsing-le, tséet-e-tséet” or similar variant, usually... read more

Habitat

Dry to moist (semi-deciduous), open woodland, wooded borders, cacao plantations, gallery forest,... read more

Food and feeding

Few data on diet; arthropods and nectar taken. Lively pairs or parties of 3–5 individuals; sometimes with small mixed-species flocks.... read more

Breeding

In Colombia, pair building nest in Jan in upper Magdalena Valley (in Huila) and birds in breeding condition in Jan, Apr and May in N. No... read more

Movements

Resident.

Status and conservation

Not globally threatened. Uncommon to locally fairly common. Can be found in a few protected areas, including El Paujíl Reserve (Colombia) and in or near Morrocoy National... read more

Bibliography

Public comments

Scientific classification

Class: Aves

Order: Passeriformes

Family: Thraupidae

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In past, included in a much broader Emberizidae. Probably sister to Cardinalidae, with these two perhaps sister to Mitrospingidae#R #R #R #R. Family limits and internal structure extensively revised in recent years on basis of numerous genetic studies#R #R #R #R #R #R. These have led to subdivision into 15 subfamilies, as well as numerous other notable changes (as compared to HBW) including: relocation herein of Parkerthraustes and Saltator from Cardinalidae, and of Charitospiza, Coryphaspiza, Embernagra, Emberizoides, Incaspiza, Porphyrospiza, Tiaris, Euneornis, Loxipasser, Loxigilla, Melanospiza, Certhidea, Platyspiza, Pinaroloxias, Geospiza, Volatinia, Coryphospingus, Rhodospingus, Sporophila, Piezorina, Xenospingus, Poospiza, Donacospiza, Sicalis, Phrygilus, Nesospiza, Rowettia, Melanodera, Haplospiza, Acanthidops, Idiopsar, Catamenia, Lophospingus, Diuca, Gubernatrix and Paroaria from Emberizidae (=Passerellidae); and also removal of Chlorophonia and Euphonia to Fringillidae, of Rhodinocichla to Rhodinocichlidae, of Chlorospingus to Passerellidae, of Phaenicophilus to Phaenicophilidae, of Spindalis to Spindalidae, of Nesospingus to Nesospingidae, of Calyptophilus to Calyptophilidae, of Lamprospiza, Mitrospingus and Orthogonys to Mitrospingidae, and of Habia, Chlorothraupis and Piranga to Cardinalidae. Generic limits within family also extensively revised, and associated sequence of species followed herein#R.

Subfamily: Diglossinae

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Subfamily (“highland tanagers”, as 75% occur above 2500 m) established very recently as an outcome of first comprehensive molecular phylogeny of Thraupidae, with strong support for clade containing species with highly divergent bill morphologies and ecological niches, with only Conirostrum, Oreomanes (herein merged into Conirostrum) and Diglossa previously treated as tanagers (Conirostrum sometimes in Parulidae) and the remainder in Emberizidae#R. Three main clades: (1) Conirostrum conebills, (2) a “yellow clade” comprising Sicalis, Melanodera, Rowettia, Nesospiza and hooded sierra-finches from what proves to be a polyphyletic Phrygilus#R, and (3) a “grey/blue clade” comprising Diglossa, Catamenia, four sierra-finches moved from Phrygilus, one former member of Diuca, plus Haplospiza, Spodiornis, Acanthidops, Idiopsar and Xenodacnis#R.

Genus: Conirostrum d’Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1838

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Has sometimes been placed in Coerebidae or Parulidae, but molecular evidence confirms its place in present family, in a clade with Oreomanes (now subsumed into Conirostrum) as sister to all remaining Diglossinae#R.

See full taxonomic structure and notes

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