Guianan Cock of the rock (Rupicola rupicola)

Guianan Cock-of-the-rock (Rupicola rupicola)

[order] PASSERIFORMES | [family] Cotingidae | [latin] Rupicola rupicola | [UK] Guianan Cock-of-the-rock | [FR] Coq de roche de Guyane | [DE] Cayenne-Klippenvogel | [ES] | [NL] Oranje Rotshaan

Subspecies

Physical charateristics

The orange-plumaged Guianan Cock-of-the-rock, Rupicola rupicola is a stout-bodied passerine with an extraordinary half-moon crest, an orange-tipped black tail, black, orange and white wings and silky-orange filaments of the inner remiges. As though not enough orange for one bird, this species also has orange bill, legs and skin. The less conspicious female is dark brownish-grey overall, has a yellow-tipped black bill and a smaller crest.

Listen to the sound of Guianan Cock-of-the-rock

[audio:http://www.aviflevoland.nl/sounddb/G/Guianan Cock-of-the-rock.mp3]

Copyright remark: Most sounds derived from xeno-canto

Range

South America : North Amazonia

Habitat

The preferred habitat is humid forest near rocky outcrops. The Guianan Cock-of-the Rock is found in the ancient, highly eroded mountains east of the Andes and north of the Amazon River, in the Guianas and adjacent areas of Venezuela, Brazil and Colombia.

Reproduction

Male cocks-of-the-rock clear spots on the forest floor to form large leks where they sing loudly and perform mating dances for females. Predators such as hawks, jaguars, ocelots, and boa constrictors are attracted to these leks. Successful males will mate with many females during the breeding season. Females raise their young alone, building cup-shaped nests of clay and plants along rock faces or in holes on cliffs. They lay two eggs that hatch in about a month.

Feeding habits

Cocks-of-the-rock prefer fruit and berries, but will eat insects if other food is scarce

Conservation

This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Migration

Sedentary throughout range.

Distribution map