Editing Gnateater

{{Short description|Family of birds}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| name = Gnateaters
| image = Conopophaga castaneiceps 3.jpg
| image_caption = [[Chestnut-crowned gnateater]] (''Conopophaga castaneiceps'')
| taxon = Conopophagidae
| authority = [[Alfred Henry Garrod|Garrod]], 1877
| subdivision_ranks = [[Genus|Genera]]
| subdivision = 
''[[Conopophaga]]'' <small> [[Louis Pierre Vieillot|Vieillot]], 1816</small><br/>
''[[Pittasoma]]'' <small> [[John Cassin|Cassin]], 1860</small>
}}

The '''gnateaters''' are a bird [[family (biology)|family]], '''Conopophagidae''', consisting of twelve small [[suboscine]] [[passerine]] [[species]] in two [[genus|genera]], which occur in [[South America|South]] and [[Central America]]. 

==Taxonomy==
The family Conopophagidae was introduced in 1877 by the English zoologist [[Alfred Henry Garrod]].<ref>{{ cite journal | last=Garrod | first=Alfred Henry | author-link=Alfred Henry Garrod | year=1877 | title=Notes on the anatomy of passerine birds. Part II | journal=Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London | volume=1877:May-Dec. | pages=447–452 [452] | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/28518366 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | last1=Ames | first1=P. | last2=Heimerdinger | first2=M. | last3=Warter | first3=S. | date=1968 | title=The anatomy and systematic position of the antpipits Conopophaga and Corythopis | journal=Postilla | issue=114 | url=https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/peabody_museum_natural_history_postilla/114/ }}</ref> The family was formerly restricted to the gnateater genus ''Conopophaga'' but a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2005 found that the genus ''Pittasoma'' in the family [[Formicariidae]] was [[sister taxon|sister]] to ''Conopophaga''.<ref name=Rice2005a>{{Cite journal | last=Rice | first=Nathan H. | date=2005 | title=Phylogenetic relationships of antpitta genera (Passeriformes: Formicariidae) | journal=The Auk | volume=122 | issue=2 | pages=673–683 | doi=10.1093/auk/122.2.673 | doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name=Rice2005b>{{Cite journal | last=Rice | first=Nathan H. | date=2005 | title=Further evidence for paraphyly of the Formicariidae (Passeriformes) | journal=The Condor | volume=107 | issue=4 | pages=910–915 | doi=10.1093/condor/107.4.910 | doi-access=free}}</ref> The association between this genus and ''Conopophaga'' is also supported by traits in their natural history, [[Morphology (biology)|morphology]], and vocalizations.<ref name=Rice2005a/> The members of this family are very closely related to the [[antbird]]s and less closely to the [[antpitta]]s and [[tapaculo]]s. Due to their remote and dim habitat, gnateaters are a little-studied and poorly known family of birds.

== Description==
[[Image:Conopophaga melanops - Black-cheeked Gnateater (male); Restinga de Bertioga State Park, São Paulo, Brazil.jpg|thumb|200px|left|[[Black-cheeked gnateater]]]]
They are round, short-tailed, and long-legged birds, about {{cvt|12|–|15.5|cm}} in length, with ''Pittasoma'' being larger than ''Conopophaga''. They are quite upright when standing. All species are [[sexually dimorphic]], although the extent of this varies greatly. Most ''Conopophaga'' species have a white tuft behind the eye.{{sfn|Whitney|2003|pp=736-737}}

==Distribution and habitat==
Gnateaters are birds of the forest understory, [[bamboo]] stands, and the forest floor. The members of the genus ''Conopophaga'' are found in the [[Amazon Basin|Amazon]] and [[Orinoco River|Orinoco basins]], east and central [[Andean]] slopes, [[Atlantic Forest]], and nearby regions, while the members of the genus ''Pittasoma'' are found in the [[El Chocó|Chocó]], and [[Panama]] and [[Costa Rica]]. Some species live in impenetrable thickets; others live in more open forest. Most are entirely restricted to humid habitats, but several species extend into drier regions in eastern [[Brazil]]. While the members of the genus ''Conopophaga'' always are found near the forest floor, seldom rising more than 1.5 m above the ground, they also seldom travel or spend much time on the ground (though they do feed there; see diet). The members of the genus ''Pittasoma'' are more commonly seen hopping around on the ground.{{sfn|Whitney|2003|pp=737-738}}

==Behaviour and ecology==
===Food and feeding===
Gnateaters are [[insectivorous]] as the group name implies. The members of the genus ''Conopophaga'' feed mostly using two methods; one is to perch above the forest floor until prey is spotted, then lunge down to the ground to snatch it; having landed on the ground to snatch a prey item it will not remain on the forest floor for more than a couple of seconds. The second method used is to [[gleaning (birds)|glean]] insects directly from the foliage, trunks, and branches of low vegetation. Typical prey items include [[spider]]s, [[caterpillar]]s, insect larvae, [[grasshopper]]s and [[beetle]]s; individuals of some species have also been observed eating fruit and in one case a [[frog]]. Very little information is available on the diet of the two ''Pittasoma'', but they are presumably also [[insectivorous]].{{sfn|Whitney|2003|p=740}}

== Species list ==
The family contains 12 species in two genera.<ref name=ioc>{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | editor3-last=Rasmussen | editor3-first=Pamela | editor3-link=Pamela Rasmussen | date=January 2023 | title=Antthrushes, antpittas, gnateaters, tapaculos, crescentchests | work=IOC World Bird List Version 13.1 | url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/antthrushes/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=17 March 2023 }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Image !! Genus  !! Living species
|-
|[[File:Conopophaga melanops -Vale do Ribeira, Juquia, Sao Paulo, Brazil -male-8.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Conopophaga]]'' {{small|Vieillot, 1816}} || 
* [[Rufous gnateater]], ''Conopophaga lineata''
* [[Chestnut-belted gnateater]], ''Conopophaga aurita''
* [[Black-breasted gnateater]], ''Conopophaga snethlageae''
* [[Hooded gnateater]], ''Conopophaga roberti''
* [[Ash-throated gnateater]], ''Conopophaga peruviana''
* [[Ceará gnateater]], ''Conopophaga cearae''
* [[Slaty gnateater]], ''Conopophaga ardesiaca''
* [[Chestnut-crowned gnateater]], ''Conopophaga castaneiceps''
* [[Black-cheeked gnateater]], ''Conopophaga melanops''
* [[Black-bellied gnateater]], ''Conopophaga melanogaster''
|-
|[[File:Pittasoma michleri -Panama-8.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Pittasoma]]'' {{small|Cassin, 1860}} || 
* [[Black-crowned antpitta]], ''Pittasoma michleri''
* [[Rufous-crowned antpitta]], ''Pittasoma rufopileatum''
|-
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Cited sources==
{{refbegin}}
*{{ cite book | last=Whitney | first=B.M. | year=2003 | chapter=Family Conopophagidae (Gnateaters) | editor1-last=del Hoyo | editor1-first=J. | editor2-last=Elliott | editor2-first=A. | editor3-last=Christie | editor3-first=D.A. | title=Handbook of the Birds of the World | volume=8: Broadbills to Tapaculos | location=Barcelona | publisher=Lynx Edicions | pages=732–747 | isbn=978-84-87334-50-4 | chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/handbookofbirdso0008unse/page/732/mode/1up | chapter-url-access=registration }}
{{refend}}

==External links==
* [http://ibc.lynxeds.com/family/gnateaters-conopophagidae Internet Bird Collection.com: Gnateater videos, photos and sounds]

{{Taxonbar|from=Q840128}}

[[Category:Conopophagidae|*]]
[[Category:Conopophaga|*]]
[[Category:Pittasoma|*]]
[[Category:Tyranni]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Philip Sclater]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Osbert Salvin]]