Birds Guide

The gnateaters are a family of eight small passerine bird species found in South America.

They are birds of dense wet forest undergrowth or bamboo stands in the Amazon and Orinoco basins and surrounding slightly higher ground.

They are round, short-tailed, and long-legged birds, about 5 inches in length. They are quite upright when standing. Sexes differ in plumage, and males are attractively coloured in shades of red and brown. Most species have a white tuft behind the eye. They are insectivorous as the group name implies.

Species list

Family: Conopophagidae

• Rufous Gnateater, Conopophaga lineata
  Chestnut-bellied Gnateater, Conopophaga aurita
  Hooded Gnateater, Conopophaga roberti
  Ash-throated Gnateater, Conopophaga peruviana
  Slaty Gnateater, Conopophaga ardesiaca
  Chestnut-crowned Gnateater, Conopophaga castaneiceps
  Black-cheeked Gnateater, Conopophaga melanops
  Black-bellied Gnateater, Conopophaga melanogaster