Red-ruffed Fruitcrow

Overview

The red-ruffed fruitcrow (Pyroderus scutatus) is a species of bird in the family Cotingidae and one of the largest passerines in South America. Although rated as Least Concern by the IUCN, many of its populations are in decline due to habitat fragmentation and degradation.

Identification

• Plumage is primarily black with a dull brown to bright orange-crimson patch on the throat.
• Some subspecies feature glossy black backs with iridescence, while others appear duller with fully chestnut breasts or mottled underparts.
• Possesses a relatively heavy, pale bluish bill and wholly black feet.

Habitat

Found in humid forests, especially in highlands, but also in forest borders, Amazon lowlands, and slightly drier forests. Its distribution is highly disjunct across northeastern Venezuela, Guyana, the Andes of Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and western Venezuela, as well as the Atlantic Forest in south-eastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, and far north-eastern Argentina.

Diet

Omnivores that feed on fruit, insects, and lizards, with fruit making up the majority of the adult diet. Nestling feeding patterns shift with age, starting with mainly insects and lizards before transitioning to a diet predominantly composed of fruit.

Did you know?

There is a correlation between the decline of Pyroderus scutatus and a rapid reduction in the seed size of palm fruit, as local extinctions of the bird lead to less seed dispersal through digestion and excretion.