Xipholena lamellipennis
The White-tailed Cotinga (Xipholena lamellipennis) is a breathtakingly beautiful and highly sought-after passerine, endemic to a restricted range within Brazil's Atlantic Forest. This species exhibits extreme sexual dimorphism, with the male being truly spectacular, adorned in pristine, glossy white plumage across its entire body, including a pure white tail, dramatically contrasted by a rich, iridescent violet-purple mantle and wing coverts. Females, by contrast, are much more subdued, displ...
Found exclusively in the canopy of humid lowland primary and mature secondary Atlantic Forest, typically at elevations below 200 meters.
Primarily frugivorous, consuming a variety of small to medium-sized fruits plucked from trees, supplemented occasionally with insects.
White-tailed Cotingas are generally solitary or found in small, mixed-species flocks, actively foraging during daylight hours high in the forest canopy. Males are known to engage in a form of lekking display, perching conspicuously on emergent branches and periodically flying short distances to a...
The White-tailed Cotinga is an endemic resident of a highly restricted and fragmented area within the Atlantic Forest biome of northeastern Brazil. Its known distribution primarily encompasses coastal lowlands and adjacent foothills in the states of Bahia, Sergipe, and Alagoas. This species is al...
Vulnerable
- The male White-tailed Cotinga's brilliant white plumage is structural, meaning it's caused by the microscopic structure of the feathers scattering light, rather than by pigments. - It is one of only three species in the genus Xipholena, all of which are known for their striking sexual dimorphis...