Snowy Cotinga
Carpodectes nitidus
Male is entirely snowy white with stout dark bill. Female also has stout gray bill, but body entirely pale gray with obvious white edges on wing feathers. Rather chunky body with short tail and smoothly rounded head, large black eye. Distinctive in limited range. Found in forest canopy, often seen around fruiting trees. Frequently perches conspicuously, but can descend into foliage when feeding. Quiet.
Identification
The adult snowy cotinga is about 8 inches (20 cm) long and is a plump bird with a smallish head. The male is very conspicuous and is entirely white, apart from a slight bluish-grey tinge on head and back. The upper parts of the female are pale brownish-grey with slightly darker wings bordered with white. There is a white ring round the eye and the underparts are greyish-white. In both sexes the beak is bluish-grey, and this distinguishes the birds from the otherwise similar yellow-billed cotinga (Carpodectes antoniae). The female might also be confused with the black-crowned tityra (Tityra inquisitor) or the masked tityra (Tityra semifasciata) but those species both have more colour on the head.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Carpodectes nitidus
- Authority
- Salvin, 1865
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Cotingidae
- Genus
- Carpodectes
Range and habitat
The snowy cotinga is native to lowland humid forests of Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. It is present on the coastal plains and in low hills to an altitude of about 450 metres (1,476 ft), being found in the canopy, along the edges of woodland, and in nearby areas with isolated large trees.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Timor Heleia
Heleia muelleri
A rather distinctive small green songbird with a yellow face, a bold black line through the eye, black scalloping on the crown, and streaked light yellow underparts. Juveniles plainer, with little or no streaking on crown and underside. Found in pairs or groups in forest within lowlands and foothills, usually occupying the canopy or subcanopy. Combination of streaked underside and absence of white eye-ring is unique among white-eyes in range. Call is a penetrating, rowdy monotonous squabbling: “wikikikikikikiki….”. Also gives a weak “seer” call.
Scaly-breasted Hummingbird
Phaeochroa cuvierii
Rather large, dull-plumaged hummingbird of humid tropical lowlands. Favors forest edge and adjacent clearings with trees, flowering bushes, and gardens. Best field marks are its large size and big white tail corners. Sexes look alike: dull greenish overall with medium-length, straightish black bill, dingy buffy belly, and white spot behind eye (like many hummingbirds). Breast is vaguely mottled and not obviously scaly.
Banggai Crow
Corvus unicolor
An entirely black, short-tailed, pale-eyed crow confined to the island of Peleng in the Banggai Islands. Occurs in groups within canopy of montane forest. Tail just barely extends beyond wingtips when perched. Shorter-tailed and shorter-billed than Slender-billed Crow, and shows a pale eye, unlike that species. Voice also differs. Song is a “whee-kew-kew-kew,” with a rasping note starting the series and higher-pitched, ascending whistles following.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.