Black-and-gold Cotinga

Overview

The black-and-gold cotinga (Lipaugus ater) is a species of bird in the family Cotingidae, endemic to Brazil. It is a mostly year-round resident of the Atlantic Forest biome, though it apparently makes some elevational movements.

Identification

• Adult males are entirely black with a large golden yellow patch on the wing's flight feathers, featuring a reddish brown iris and a bright orange, slightly hooked bill.
• Females are overall dull olive-green, becoming yellower on the edges of the flight feathers and belly, and possess a duller orange bill than males.
• The species is 25 to 28 cm (9.8 to 11 in) in length with dark brown legs and feet.
• The song is described as a "curious high, sharp, eerie suuuuuwíii" that increases in strength and is upslurred midway, often produced in alternating calls by males from treetops.

Habitat

Found in southeastern Brazil, the species ranges intermittently in extreme eastern São Paulo, extreme eastern Minas Gerais, and southern Rio de Janeiro states. It inhabits humid montane forest within the Atlantic Forest biome at elevations between 1,200 and 2,000 m (3,900 and 6,600 ft).

Diet

The diet is primarily fruit, with fruits of Lauraceae appearing to be important, and also includes insects. It picks most fruit while perched or with a short flutter-flight, while insects are taken mostly with a short sally to foliage.

Did you know?

Two or more males alternate vocalising from treetops to produce a continuous sound that carries a long distance.