Dusky Piha

Overview

The dusky piha (Lipaugus fuscocinereus) is a species of bird in the family Cotingidae, found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. It is currently assessed as a species of Least Concern by the IUCN, though its population is believed to be decreasing due to deforestation.

Identification

• Largest member of the genus Lipaugus with a length of 31 to 33 cm and a weight of 120 to 138 g.
• Medium gray upperparts with duskier wings and tail, and paler gray underparts with a brownish wash on the breast and belly.
• Dark brown iris and a dark brown or blackish bill with a paler base to the mandible.
• Loud song described as "pee-a-weeee or pee-a-weeee-a-weeee" with the last syllable slurring down the scale.

Habitat

Inhabits the canopy and edges of montane forest and mature secondary forest in subtropical and temperate zones of the Andes. It is found along the Colombian Andes, south through Ecuador, and slightly into far northern Peru north of the Marañón River valley, typically at elevations between 1,700 and 3,100 m.

Diet

Feeds on fruit and probably eats insects as well. It usually forages in small groups that join mixed-species feeding flocks, plucking fruit with a brief sally from a perch.

Did you know?

Males perhaps court females in loose leks, and their wings make a loud noise during courtship display. Only one nest has ever been found, built from vine tendrils on a platform of sticks approximately 8.5 m above the ground.