Capped Conebill
Conirostrum albifrons
Small tanager-like bird found in the subtropical zone of the Andes from Venezuela to Bolivia. Sharp pointed bill. Male is dark blackish overall with cobalt highlights shoulder and rump, and a blue (south) or white (north) crown. Female very different: olive above with gray head and chest and yellow belly. Her blue crown can be difficult to see. Even in poor light, easily picked out of a mixed-species flock by its frequent tail pumping.
Identification
The capped conebill is 13-14 cm long and weighs 11.7-21.5 g. Males in the "albifrons" group sport a white crown, with a slaty-black face, breast and neck; a liberty blue shoulder and tail, and a navy blue back. Males in the "atrocyaneum" group have a deep blue cap, back, wing, and tail, and a glaucous shoulder; as well as a slaty breast, neck, and face. Females have a light blue crown and a blue-grey head, a dark yellow body and an olive back and wings. Both sexes have a black slightly-curved bill and grey legs.
Taxonomy
The capped conebill was described by Frédéric de Lafresnaye as Ptyonura albifrons, which he regarded as a synonym of Muscisaxicola. From the description provided, the type specimen appears to be a female. It is now placed in the Conirostrum with the other Conebills. The genus name Conirostrum comes from the latin words "conus" which means cone and "rostrum" which means beak or bill. Albifrons means "white-fronted" referring to the white crown that males in the north of the range have. There a currently six recognised subspecies:
- Scientific name
- Conirostrum albifrons
- Authority
- Lafresnaye, 1842
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Genus
- Conirostrum
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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