Black-faced cotinga explained

The black-faced cotinga (Conioptilon mcilhennyi) is a species of bird in the family Cotingidae. It is the only member of the genus Conioptilon.

It is mainly found in the Amazon Basin of eastern Peru as well as in adjacent border areas of western Brazil and northwestern Bolivia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

The species was first described by George Lowery and John O'Neill in 1966 and placed in a new genus.^[1] A large molecular phylogenetic study of the suboscines published in 2020 found that the black-faced cotinga was sister to the bare-necked fruitcrow (Gymnoderus foetidusi).^[2]

Geographic distribution

It is found in the Madre de Dios and Balta in South Ucayali, the Caimisea river, Cuzco, and the Tejo and Juruá Rivers in western Brazil.

Notes and References

1. Lowery . George H. . O'Neill . John P. . A new genus and species of cotinga from eastern Peru . Auk . 83 . 1 . 1-9 [3] .
2. Harvey . M.G. . Bravo . G.A. . Claramunt . S. . Cuervo . A.M. . Derryberry . G.E. . Battilana . J. . Seeholzer . G.F. . McKay . J.S. . O’Meara . B.C. . Faircloth . B.C. . Edwards . S.V. . Pérez-Emán . J. . Moyle . R.G. . Sheldon . F.H. . Aleixo . A. . Smith . B.T. . Chesser . R.T. . Silveira . L.F. . Cracraft . J. . Brumfield . R.T. . Derryberry . E.P. . 2020 . The evolution of a tropical biodiversity hotspot . Science . 370 . 6522 . 1343–1348 . 10.1126/science.aaz6970 . free . A high resolution version of the phylogenetic tree in Figure 1 is available from the first author's website here.