About Conopophaga melanops (Vieillot, 1818)
Conopophaga melanops, commonly called the black-cheeked gnateater, is a small round bird with a short tail, measuring 11.5 cm (4.5 inches) in total length. This species exhibits clear sexual dimorphism in plumage. Males have distinctive coloration: a black face and black cheeks, paired with a contrasting orange crown and white throat. Their upperparts are brownish, while their underparts are pale grey; belly feathers are whiter, and their flanks tend towards a buff shade. Females are more uniformly overall brown; they have brown upperparts, a white eyebrow, and a buff patch on the wings. The black-cheeked gnateater resembles the rufous gnateater. This species is distributed in eastern Brazil, occurring between the states of Paraíba and Santa Catarina. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, where it lives in the understory and on the forest floor. Its range along the eastern coastal areas of Brazil has become fragmented due to habitat destruction. Like other gnateaters, this species is furtive and not often seen, despite the male's showy plumage.
