Peppershrike

The peppershrikes are two species of passerine bird found in tropical Central and South America. They form the genus Cyclarhis, part of the vireo family.

Peppershrikes
Rufous-browed peppershrike (Cyclarhis gujanensis)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Vireonidae
Genus:	Cyclarhis Swainson, 1824
Type species
Tanagra gujanensis Gmelin, JF, 1789
Species
C. gujanensis C. nigrirostris

These are heavyset birds with a hooked shrike-like bill. Although sluggish and very vocal, the peppershrikes are still difficult to spot as they feed on insects and spiders in the canopy aloft. Their cup-shaped nests can likewise be found high in the trees.

Taxonomy

The genus Cyclarhis was introduced in 1789 by the English naturalist William Swainson to accommodate a single species, the rufous-browed peppershrike, which is therefore the type species.^[1][2] The genus name is from the Ancient Greek kuklos meaning "circle" and rhis, rhinos meaning "nostrils".^[3] The genus contains two species.^[4]

Species

Image	Common Name	Scientific name	Distribution
	Rufous-browed peppershrike	C. gujanensis	Mexico and Trinidad south to Argentina and Uruguay.
	Black-billed peppershrike	C. nigrirostris	Colombia and northern Ecuador.