BIRD SPECIES

Banded Cotinga

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Cotinga maculate

The Banded Cotinga has undergone a severe decline as a result of continuing forest clearance and is now likely to have been extirpated from substantial parts of its range.

Its remaining population size is very small and fragmented into extremely small sub-populations.

It is around 7.9 inches long.

Males are a bright blue with a black spotted back. Throat and belly are bright purple with a blue band across the chest.

Females are a dull brown with some white mottling. The primaries are modified to produce a slight whir during display.

Diet consists of seeds, berries - especially Byrsonima sericea and Ficuses, fruit, caterpillars, and other insects.

Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests.

It shares its habitat with other endemic birds, such as Saffron Toucanet and Pin-tailed Manakin.

It is not migratory. Majority of the species is concentrated in the state of Bahia, with occasional records from the nearby state of Minas Gerais.

It most likely once occurred in Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo, but has likely since been extirpated.

Nest is a simple cup.