#conebill

photograph by Andres Vasquez Noboa

img source

January 14, 2024 - Tamarugo Conebill (Conirostrum tamarugense) Breeding in a small area in the Atacama desert in northern Chile, some of these conebills migrate north to parts of northern Chile and southern Peru. They eat insects, especially caterpillars which feed on the tamarugo tree during their breeding season, usually foraging in trees alone, in pairs, or in small flocks, often with other species. Breeding during the flowering season of tamarugo trees, they build their nests from small twigs, feathers, wool, and the centers of tamarugo leaves in the trees or sometimes in nearby bushes. Females lay clutches of three eggs.

July 26, 2023 - Chestnut-vented Conebill (Conirostrum speciosum) These tanagers are found in parts of northern and central South America in forests and woodlands, often near rivers. Foraging in pairs and family groups, they eat insects and possibly nectar, though the details of their diet are not known. While little is known about their breeding behavior, one of their tiny cup-shaped nests built from leaf stems and fibers in a curled dry leaf was observed with a clutch of three eggs.