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Friday, July 20, 2018

The Unusual Andean Cock-of-the-Rock


The Andean Cock-of-the-Rock is the national bird of Peru, which is not to be confused with the Guinean Cock-of-the-Rock.  Not only is the red-orange color exquisite, but the males also have a fan shaped crest.



Shy birds by nature, this cloud forest dweller gathers with other males on communal leks, or courtship sites, to entice females and challenge other males.  The females spend their time on the nests incubating eggs on rock faces, under bridges, or cave entrances, solely building nests and rearing the young.  Nests are located near the lek sites.



It is possible to find these birds eating fruit at trees away from the lek, but they also consume army ants, amphibians, lizards, and occasionally, rodents.

These passerines reside in the Andean cloud forests of Boliva, Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador.  It is also a bird of least concern, and is visible between 0.3 mile and 1.5 miles in elevation.  The species is also dimorphic, with the female a rust colored version of the male, who has a bright orange coloring and a half moon-shaped crest.







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