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Blue-backed Conebill

Conirostrum sitticolor

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernInvertebratesForestTiny · 12 g
Blue-backed Conebill (Conirostrum sitticolor), photo 1
Photo: Ryan F. Mandelbaum · CC BY 4.0
Blue-backed Conebill (Conirostrum sitticolor), photo 2
Photo: Amber M. King · CC BY 4.0
Blue-backed Conebill (Conirostrum sitticolor), photo 3
Photo: desertnaturalist · CC BY 4.0
Blue-backed Conebill (Conirostrum sitticolor), photo 4
Photo: Esteban Poveda · CC BY 4.0
Blue-backed Conebill (Conirostrum sitticolor), photo 5
Photo: Ryan F. Mandelbaum · CC BY 4.0
Blue-backed Conebill (Conirostrum sitticolor), photo 6
Photo: desertnaturalist · CC BY 4.0
Blue-backed Conebill (Conirostrum sitticolor), photo 7
Photo: Félix Uribe from Colombia · CC BY 2.0
Blue-backed Conebill (Conirostrum sitticolor), photo 8
Photo: Gray, George Robert; Hullmandel & Walton; Hullmandel, Charles Joseph; Mitchell, D. W. · Public domain
Blue-backed Conebill (Conirostrum sitticolor), photo 9
Photo: Ryan F. Mandelbaum · CC BY 4.0
Blue-backed Conebill (Conirostrum sitticolor), photo 10
Photo: Ryan F. Mandelbaum · CC BY 4.0

What the Blue-backed Conebill sounds like

Sonogram of the Blue-backed Conebill: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Song · Napo: Salcedo-Tena road at Río Anatenorio, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the Blue-backed Conebill: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Call, song · Napo: 4.5 km below Oyacachi, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the Blue-backed Conebill: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Song · Loja: above Jimbura, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

The blue-backed conebill is a small bird, weighing 11-13g. While subspecies differ slightly in appearance, all subspecies have some amount of black on their head, a blue back, rump, and tail, and an orange underside. The nominate subspecies, C. s. sitticolor has a fully black head and throat, and black wings, while C. s. cyaneum has a black cheek, chin, lore, and crown with a blue post-ocular stripe and throat, and blue wings. As the name would indicate, C. s.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Blue-backed Conebill

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is November, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Blue-backed Conebill

Regular range

The map shades 5 countries with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Colombia Ecuador Peru Bolivia Venezuela

About the Blue-backed Conebill

The blue-backed conebill is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae . It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Capped Conebill (Conirostrum albifrons) Capped ConebillConirostrum albifronsThe capped conebill is 13-14 cm long and weighs 11.7-21.5 g. Bicolored Conebill (Conirostrum bicolor) Bicolored ConebillConirostrum bicolorThe bicolored conebill is 11.4 cm long and weighs 11 g. Rufous-browed Conebill (Conirostrum rufum) Rufous-browed ConebillConirostrum rufumThe rufous-browed conebill is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae.

Side by side: Bicolored Conebill vs Blue-backed Conebill

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