Photo: Félix Uribe from Colombia / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Blue-backed Conebill
Conirostrum sitticolor
Blue-backed Conebill (Conirostrum sitticolor) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Blue-backed Conebill (Conirostrum sitticolor) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 11.9 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Thraupidae Tanagers & Allies
- Genus Conirostrum
- Species sitticolor
Quick facts
- Weight
- 11.9 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Endangered
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Blue-backed Conebill is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Blue-backed Conebill is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Blue-backed Conebill (Conirostrum sitticolor) is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA Colombia to Bolivia.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 11.9 g, with a wing length of about 6.7 cm and a tail of around 5.6 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 300,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Blue-backed Conebill?
The Blue-backed Conebill is a very small bird that weighs around 11.9 g.
Where does the Blue-backed Conebill live?
The Blue-backed Conebill is found across South America with a range covering SA Colombia to Bolivia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Blue-backed Conebill belong to?
The Blue-backed Conebill (Conirostrum sitticolor) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Blue-backed Conebill eat?
The Blue-backed Conebill is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Blue-backed Conebill migrate?
The Blue-backed Conebill is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Blue-backed Conebill endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Blue-backed Conebill make?
1 real field recording of the Blue-backed Conebill — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Blue-backed Conebill's range?
The Blue-backed Conebill has a mapped global range of about 300,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Meet the Thraupidae
A field guide to the Thraupidae family — 394 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.