Spangled Cotinga
Cotinga cayana
Compact, medium-sized bird of rainforest canopy; often seen at fruiting trees or perched atop bare snags. Male plumage is stunning in good light but can appear blackish otherwise. Feeds on fruit and often commutes long distances between food sources. In western Amazonia, compare to Plum-throated Cotinga; note male Spangled’s more extensive black markings, including tail. Females recognizable by small, rounded head and scalloped plumage; both sexes have dark (not yellow) eyes.
Identification
The species is sexually dimorphic with the male being a bright turquoise-blue with a large deep wine-red throat and black to the wings, tail and back. The female is overall dull brownish-gray with darker wings and faint mottling below.
Taxonomy
In 1760 the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the spangled cotinga in his Ornithologie based on a specimen collected in Cayenne in French Guiana. He used the French name Le cotinga de Cayenne and the Latin Cotinga Cayanensis. Although Brisson coined Latin names, these do not conform to the binomial system and are not recognised by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. When in 1766 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the twelfth edition, he added 240 species that had been previously described by Brisson. One of these was the spangled cotinga. Linnaeus included a brief description, coined the binomial name Ampelis cayana and cited Brisson's work. This species is now placed in the genus Cotinga that was introduced by Brisson in 1760. The spangled cotinga is monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Cotinga cayana
- Authority
- (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Cotingidae
- Genus
- Cotinga
Range and habitat
The spangled cotinga is found throughout the Amazon Basin. It is not considered to be threatened because of its wide distribution.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Red-backed Shrike
Lanius collurio
Handsome small shrike. Male distinctive, with blue-gray head, black mask, rusty-brown back; female has warm brown upperparts, fine dark scalloping on breast and flanks. Found in open areas with scattered bushes and trees, such as heathland, overgrown orchards, and open farmland with hedges and scattered bushes; especially favors areas with thorny plants on which prey (small birds, large insects, rodents) can be impaled in "larders." Hunts from perches atop bushes and on wires, but at other times is retiring and easily overlooked. Listen for harsh, rough-sounding calls. Song is a rather quiet warble, often with mimicked elements.
Purple Grenadier
Granatina ianthinogaster
A distinctive and attractive waxbill with a deep-blue tail and a red bill. Males are more colorful, with a purple belly, a rufous hood, and purple and red around the eye. Females are mostly rufous with pale blue patches above and below the eye. Found in a variety of savanna and woodland habitats, often in small flocks, sometimes mixed with other species. Gives high-pitched squeaking and rattling calls and a lisping, whistled song.
Silverbird
Empidornis semipartitus
A beautiful, distinctive, and simply marked flycatcher with silvery gray upperparts and orange underparts. Juveniles are buff-and-gray, lacking orange, and are covered in complex scalloped markings. Found in fairly moist thorn savanna, woodland, and cultivated areas. Perches conspicuously on open branches and other exposed perches. The song is a chatty mix of high-pitched squeaks and whistles, reminiscent of the song of a magpie-robin.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.