Black-and-gold Cotinga
Encyclopedia
The Black-and-gold Cotinga (Tijuca atra) is a species of bird
in the Cotingidae family. It is endemic to humid Atlantic Forest in the highlands of the Serra do Mar
in south-eastern Brazil
. It is threatened by habitat loss, but remains common within several national parks, e.g. Serra dos Órgãos
and Itatiaia
. Males are highly vocal, and their loud, piercing whistle is frequently heard. It is strongly sexually dimorphic. Except for a bright yellow wing-speculum, males are superficially similar to the male Common Blackbird, while the far less conspicuous females are overall olive. The female resemble both sexes of the only other member of the genus, the Grey-winged Cotinga
, but is larger, has a thicker bill, and yellowish-olive (not grey) remiges.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in the Cotingidae family. It is endemic to humid Atlantic Forest in the highlands of the Serra do Mar
Serra do Mar
Serra do Mar is a 1,500 km long system of mountain ranges and escarpments in Southeastern Brazil, which runs in parallel to the Atlantic Ocean coast from the state of Espírito Santo to southern Santa Catarina, although some include Serra Geral in the Serra do Mar, in which case this range...
in south-eastern Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. It is threatened by habitat loss, but remains common within several national parks, e.g. Serra dos Órgãos
Serra dos Órgãos
Serra dos Órgãos is a mountain range in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which was turned into a national park in 1939. It is located about a one-hour drive from the city of Rio de Janeiro....
and Itatiaia
Itatiaia National Park
Itatiaia National Park , established in 1937, is the oldest national park in Brazil. It is located on the border between Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais states, between 22º16’ - 22º28’ S and 44º34’ - 44º42’ W....
. Males are highly vocal, and their loud, piercing whistle is frequently heard. It is strongly sexually dimorphic. Except for a bright yellow wing-speculum, males are superficially similar to the male Common Blackbird, while the far less conspicuous females are overall olive. The female resemble both sexes of the only other member of the genus, the Grey-winged Cotinga
Grey-winged Cotinga
The Grey-winged Cotinga is a species of bird in the Cotingidae family. It is endemic to Brazil where it is restricted to the Serra dos Órgãos and Serra do Tinguá in Rio de Janeiro State. Its natural habitat is tropical moist montane forest.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . ...
, but is larger, has a thicker bill, and yellowish-olive (not grey) remiges.
Further reading
- Snow, D.W. & Goodwin, D. (1974). "The Black-and-gold Cotinga." The Auk 91(2)
External links
- Black-and-gold Cotinga on the Internet Bird Collection
- Photo; Article tropicalbirding
- Black-and-gold Cotinga photo gallery VIREO
