Giant Conebill

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Giant Conebill
Conservation status
Near Threatened
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Thraupidae Genus: Oreomanes Sclater, 1860 Species: O. fraseri
Binomial name
Oreomanes fraseri Sclater, 1860

The Giant Conebill Oreomanes fraseri is a small passerine bird, one of the tanager family. It is the only member of the genus Oreomanes.

The Giant Conebill is 15 cm in length and weighs 22.0 -27.0 g. It is found in the Andes from Colombia to Ecuador, and Peru to Bolivia. It lives in Polylepis trees of the family Rosaceae.

The Giant Conebill lives individually or in groups of 5 or less. It peels bark off Polylepis trees to find insects. It also eats aphids and sugary solutions secreted by Gynoxys. Nothing is known of reproductive behavior.

Its decline is attributed to the destruction and fragmentation of Polylepis woodland.

The binomial commemorates the British zoologist Louis Fraser.

[edit] References

• BirdLife International (2004). Oreomanes fraseri. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is near threatened
• BirdLife Species Factsheet