Pipreola riefferii
The Green-and-black Fruiteater (Pipreola riefferii) is a strikingly plumaged passerine belonging to the Cotingidae family, renowned for its vibrant, almost jewel-like appearance among the montane forests of the Andes. Males are particularly arresting, featuring a brilliant emerald green back and upperparts contrasted with a deep velvety black head and breast, often accented by a contrasting white throat or partial gorget, and rich chestnut undertail coverts. They typically measure around 18-1...
This species primarily inhabits subtropical and tropical moist montane forests, favoring dense cloud forests and humid evergreen woodlands. It is typically found at elevations ranging from 1,000 to 2,800 meters (3,300 to 9,200 feet).
The diet of the Green-and-black Fruiteater consists predominantly of small fruits and berries (frugivorous), complemented by a lesser proportion of insects and arthropods. They typically forage by perching and gleaning items from foliage or making short, agile sallies to pluck fruit from branches.
Green-and-black Fruiteaters are generally diurnal, active from dawn to dusk, and typically roost silently within dense foliage, often singly. Their foraging strategy involves perching quietly and scanning for ripe fruits, which they often pluck with a quick sally, or occasionally gleaning insects...
The Green-and-black Fruiteater is a resident species widely distributed across the Andes mountain range of northwestern South America. Its extensive breeding range stretches from the Andes of western Venezuela, through the three cordilleras of Colombia, continuing south through the western and ea...
Least Concern
- The Green-and-black Fruiteater is part of the Cotingidae family, a group known for some of the most flamboyant and uniquely plumaged birds in the Neotropics. - Despite its vibrant coloration, this species can be remarkably difficult to spot as it often perches motionlessly high in the forest ca...