Giant Conebill
Conirostrum binghami
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.
Taxonomy
The taxonomy is complicated. The giant conebill was formally described in 1860 by the English zoologist Philip Sclater from a specimen collected by Louis Fraser. Sclater coined the binomial name Oreomanes fraseri. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014 found that the giant conebill was embedded in a clade containing members of the genus Conirostrum. As Conirostrum d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1838, was introduced before Oreomanes Sclater, 1860, Conirostrum has priority and Oreomanes was merged into Conirostrum. But as the cinereous conebill has a recognised subspecies, Conirostrum cinereum fraseri Sclater, 1859, the specific name of the giant conebill was changed to that of its junior synonym Oreomanes binghami. This had been introduced in 1919 by the American ornithologist Frank Chapman based on a specimen collected near Machu Picchu in Peru. The specific epithet was chosen to honour Hiram Bingham. The giant conebill is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
- Scientific name
- Conirostrum binghami
- Authority
- (Chapman, 1919)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Genus
- Conirostrum
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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