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Phytotoma

Cladus: Eukaryota
Supergroup: Opisthokonta
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Classis: Aves
Subclassis: Carinatae
Infraclassis: Neornithes
Parvclassis: Neognathae
Ordo: Passeriformes
Subordo: Tyranni
Infraordo: Tyrannides
Parvordo: Tyrannida
Familia: Cotingidae
Genus: Phytotoma
Species: P. raimondii - P. rara - P. rutila

Name

Phytotoma Molina, 1782

Reference

Saggio sulla storia naturale del Chile p.254,345

The plantcutters are a group of passerine birds in the cotinga family Cotingidae. They were previously in their own family, Phytotomidae. The three plantcutters are all placed in the genus Phytotoma.

These are robust birds of open woodland, scrub and farmland in southern and western South America. They resemble finches, and are among the few primarily folivorous birds, though they also take some fruits, berries and flowers. The common name is a reference to their stubby bills with fine serrations along the cutting edge – an adaption for cutting plant material.

They are sexually dichromatic, with males having black wings with white pacthes, and at least partially rufous underparts. The plumage of the females is greyish-white or brownish-white with dense dark streaking throughout.

These pair-living birds lay 2 - 4 brown-spotted green eggs in a tree nest. Only the female incubates, but both sexes participate in the nest-building and feeding of the chicks. The chicks are fed almost exclusively with insects.

Species

* White-tipped Plantcutter, or Reddish Plantcutter, Phytotoma rutila
* Rufous-tailed Plantcutter or Chilean Plantcutter, Phytotoma rara
* Peruvian Plantcutter, Phytotoma raimondii


References

* Fitzpatrick, J. W. (2004). Plantcutters (Phytotoma). pp. 73–74 in: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., & Christie, D. A. eds. (2004). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 9. Cotingas to Wagtails. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ISBN 84-87334-69-5

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Source: Wikipedia, Wikispecies: All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License