Cotinga nattererii
The Blue Cotinga, Cotinga nattererii, is an avian jewel of the Neotropics, renowned for the male's breathtaking iridescent plumage. Males display a brilliant, almost luminous sky-blue body, dramatically contrasted by black primaries, secondaries, and rectrices, and an unmistakable deep purplish-chestnut patch on the throat and upper breast. These stunning birds measure approximately 18-20 cm (7-8 inches) in length. Females, by contrast, exhibit a remarkable cryptic plumage, being duller, mott...
Found primarily in tropical lowland rainforests and humid forest edges, typically inhabiting the canopy and subcanopy layers. They also utilize clearings with scattered trees and secondary growth.
Mainly frugivorous, consuming a wide variety of small to medium-sized fruits; occasionally supplements its diet with insects caught during sallies.
Blue Cotingas are largely diurnal and arboreal, spending most of their time high in the forest canopy. They employ a 'sally-glean' foraging strategy, sitting motionless for extended periods before making short flights to pluck fruits directly from branches, often swallowing them whole. Males are ...
The Blue Cotinga is a resident species found across northern South America, inhabiting a wide range of humid lowland forests. Its distribution extends from north-eastern Colombia, particularly east of the Andes and along the Pacific slope in the Chocó region, eastward across central and northern ...
Least Concern
- The dazzling blue of the male Blue Cotinga is not due to pigments, but rather structural coloration where microscopic structures in the feathers scatter blue light. - Males engage in 'lekking' behavior, gathering in communal display grounds to perform for females, who then choose a mate. - Fema...