Cnemathraupis is a small genus of mountain tanagers found in forest and woodland in the Andes of South America.

These species were formerly included with the hooded mountain tanager in the genus Buthraupis.

A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2010 found that Buthraupis was polyphyletic.

[1] To create monophyletic genera, the black-chested mountain tanager and the golden-backed mountain tanager were moved to the resurrected genus Cnemathraupis that had been erected by Thomas Penard in 1919 with the black-chested mountain tanager as the type species.

[2][3] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek knēmē meaning "leg" or "shin" and thraupis, an unknown small bird.