Cephalopterus penduliger
The Long-wattled Umbrellabird, *Cephalopterus penduliger*, is an extraordinarily striking cotinga, renowned for its spectacular sexual dimorphism and elaborate courtship displays. Males are large, glossy black birds, measuring 40-42 cm (16-17 in) and weighing up to 450g (1 lb), featuring a prominent, forward-curving crest on the head and, most notably, an astonishing, inflatable, pendulous fleshy wattle that can extend up to 35 cm (14 in) from the throat and breast. Females are similar in plu...
Found in subtropical and tropical moist lowland and montane forests, typically at elevations ranging from 100 to 1,800 meters (330 to 5,900 ft), occasionally higher.
Primarily frugivorous, consuming a wide variety of fruits, especially from palm trees and plants in the Lauraceae family. Also supplements its diet with large insects such as beetles, orthopterans, and cicadas, and occasionally small vertebrates.
Long-wattled Umbrellabirds are diurnal and largely solitary outside of breeding contexts. Males are renowned for their elaborate lekking behavior, gathering at traditional display sites that may be used for decades. Here, they perform a captivating courtship display: inflating their remarkable wa...
The Long-wattled Umbrellabird is endemic to the humid Chocó Bioregion, found exclusively in western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador. In Colombia, its range extends from the Pacific lowlands of the Nariño department north through the Chocó department, occasionally reaching into southwestern Anti...
Vulnerable
- The male's wattle is one of the longest ornamental appendages relative to body size among all bird species. - Males can inflate their wattle dramatically during their courtship displays, making it appear even more imposing. - Their deep, resonant "boom" call, often likened to a distant cow's mo...