Cnemathraupis Explained

Cnemathraupis is a small genus of mountain tanagers found in forest and woodland in the Andes of South America. The two species are uncommon and relatively large tanagers with a contrasting blue, yellow and black plumage (golden-backed mountain tanager also has some brown; black-chested mountain tanager some green).

Taxonomy and species list

These species were formerly included with the hooded mountain tanager in the genus Buthraupis. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2010 found that Buthraupis was polyphyletic.^[1] To create monophyletic genera, the black-chested mountain tanager and the golden-backed mountain tanager were moved to the resurrected genus Cnemathraupis that had been erected by Thomas Penard in 1919 with the black-chested mountain tanager as the type species.^{[2] [3]} The genus name combines the Ancient Greek knēmē meaning "leg" or "shin" and thraupis, an unknown small bird.^[4] The genus is sister to the grass-green tanager in the monotypic genus Chlorornis.^[5]

The genus contains the two species:^[3]

Notes and References

1. Sedano . Raul E. . Burns . Kevin J. . 2010 . Are the Northern Andes a species pump for Neotropical birds? Phylogenetics and biogeography of a clade of Neotropical tanagers (Aves: Thraupini) . Journal of Biogeography . 37 . 2 . 325–343 . 10.1111/j.1365-2699.2009.02200.x. 53063036 .
2. Penard . Thomas E. . 1919 . Revision of the genus Buthraupis Cabanis . Auk . 36 . 4 . 536–540 [538] . 10.2307/4073348 . 4073348 . free .
3. Web site: Gill . Frank . Frank Gill (ornithologist) . Donsker . David . Rasmussen . Pamela . Pamela Rasmussen . July 2020 . Tanagers and allies . IOC World Bird List Version 10.2 . International Ornithologists' Union . 20 October 2020 .
4. Book: Jobling, James A. . 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm . London . 978-1-4081-2501-4 . 111 .
5. Burns . K.J. . Shultz . A.J. . Title . P.O. . Mason . N.A. . Barker . F.K. . Klicka . J. . Lanyon . S.M. . Lovette . I.J. . 2014 . Phylogenetics and diversification of tanagers (Passeriformes: Thraupidae), the largest radiation of Neotropical songbirds . Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 75. 41–77 . 10.1016/j.ympev.2014.02.006 . 24583021 .