Crimson Fruitcrow
Haematoderus militaris
Easily-identified cotinga; the only large red other than macaws likely to be seen in rainforest canopy. Male is mostly shining red. Female is browner but told by size and shape; also note large bill. Rare and local in canopy of humid lowland forest; seems to be somewhat nomadic. Usually seen perched high in bare branches. Feeds on fruit that it plucks in short sallies, like a giant manakin. Call is a short, gruff bark, somewhat like call of Pompadour Cotinga but much deeper; easily overlooked.
Identification
The crimson fruitcrow is a large bird about 34 centimetres (13 in) long. The adult male has glossy crimson plumage on head, back and breast, the feathers being long and stiff. A bushy crimson crest is sometimes raised. The wings and tail are dark brown to black, the tail being partly concealed by the long tail-coverts. The female and the immature male have a paler crimson head, throat and underparts, the back, wings and tail being dark brown and the feathers being more flexible. Both sexes have thick, dark red beaks.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Haematoderus militaris
- Authority
- (Shaw, 1792)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Cotingidae
- Genus
- Haematoderus
Range and habitat
This species is native to the tropical, lowland rainforests of Guyana, French Guiana and northeastern Brazil. There have been occasional sightings outside its normal range, in west Brazil and east Venezuela. It is an uncommon species and is present in the forest canopy and at the verges of woodland.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Despite its name, this fruitcrow feeds mainly on large insects such as cicadas, beetles and grasshoppers; it supplements this diet with fruit. Its flight is leisurely and looping, and a display flight, involving ascending in a corkscrew fashion followed by a long glide, has been documented. It perches high in the canopy, each bird seeming to have a favoured spot. Although usually silent, this bird can emit a low hoot reminiscent of an owl, and also has a sharp "bok" call.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Resplendent Quetzal
Pharomachrus mocinno
Large, spectacular trogon of humid evergreen and pine-evergreen forest in the mountains of southern Mexico and Central America. It is the national bird (and lends its name to the currency) of Guatemala. Usually rather shy, but can be found feeding quietly at fruiting trees. Male is unmistakable with long emerald plumes flowing out behind in flight or blowing in the wind when perched. On females, note large size, grayish head, gray bill, and greatly reduced jagged plumes on the side of the breast.
Socotra Cisticola
Cisticola haesitatus
Small, pale brown, heavily streaked cisticola. Endemic to Socotra, where it inhabits low shrublands and other habitats with significant bushy cover, mostly at low elevations. The song is a long series of dull “zit” notes, often given in flight; very similar to the song of the widespread Zitting Cisticola, which is not found on Socotra. Within its range, can only be confused with Socotra Warbler, but easily distinguished by the paler coloration and well-defined streaking.
Maracaibo Tody-Flycatcher
Todirostrum viridanum
Tiny and faded-looking bird with long pointed bill and slender tail. Head gray with blackish forehead; upperparts greenish and underparts pale yellow; tail black. Common, alone or in pairs in arid regions with scrub or forest. Distinguished from similar Common Tody-Flycatcher by paler, more faded coloration and whitish mark above lores. Endemic to arid regions of northwestern Venezuela.
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