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Cotinga (genus)
Encyclopedia
Cotinga is a genus
of passerine
birds belonging to the cotinga
family, Cotingidae. It contains seven species. They are found in tropical rainforest
in South
and Central America
from southern Mexico
to south-east Brazil
. They feed mainly on fruit
and forage high in trees.
They are 18-22 cm long. The males have highly colourful plumage
; bright blue with areas of purple. The blue colour is produced by air bubbles in the feathers which scatter light. Females are much duller than males and are mainly brown, often with pale feather edges giving them a scaled or speckled appearance.
The wings of the males make a whistling or rattling noise in flight.
Deforestation
is a threat to several members of this genus. The Turquoise Cotinga
is classed as Vulnerable
by the IUCN and the Banded Cotinga
is considered to be Endangered
.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of passerine
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
birds belonging to the cotinga
Cotinga
The cotingas are a large family of passerine bird species found in Central America and tropical South America. Cotingas are birds of forests or forest edges, which mostly eat fruit or insects and fruit. Comparatively little is known about this diverse group, although all have broad bills with...
family, Cotingidae. It contains seven species. They are found in tropical rainforest
Tropical rainforest
A tropical rainforest is an ecosystem type that occurs roughly within the latitudes 28 degrees north or south of the equator . This ecosystem experiences high average temperatures and a significant amount of rainfall...
in South
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
from southern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to south-east 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...
. They feed mainly on fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
and forage high in trees.
They are 18-22 cm long. The males have highly colourful plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
; bright blue with areas of purple. The blue colour is produced by air bubbles in the feathers which scatter light. Females are much duller than males and are mainly brown, often with pale feather edges giving them a scaled or speckled appearance.
The wings of the males make a whistling or rattling noise in flight.
Deforestation
Deforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
is a threat to several members of this genus. The Turquoise Cotinga
Turquoise Cotinga
The Turquoise Cotinga or Ridgway's Cotinga is a species of bird in the Cotingidae family.It is found in Costa Rica and western Panama....
is classed as Vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
by the IUCN and the Banded Cotinga
Banded Cotinga
The Banded Cotinga is a species of bird in the Cotingidae family.It is endemic to south-east Brazil.Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
is considered to be Endangered
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
.
Species list
- Lovely CotingaLovely CotingaThe Lovely Cotinga is a species of bird in the Cotingidae family. It is found in Central America from southern Mexico through Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and Nicaragua to Costa Rica with reports from western Panama...
, Cotinga amabilis - Turquoise CotingaTurquoise CotingaThe Turquoise Cotinga or Ridgway's Cotinga is a species of bird in the Cotingidae family.It is found in Costa Rica and western Panama....
, Cotinga ridgwayi - Blue CotingaBlue CotingaThe Blue Cotinga is a species of bird in the Cotingidae family.It is found in Colombia, north-west Ecuador, eastern and central Panama and western Venezuela....
, Cotinga nattererii - Plum-throated CotingaPlum-throated CotingaThe Plum-throated Cotinga is a species of bird in the Cotingidae family.It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru....
, Cotinga maynana - Purple-breasted CotingaPurple-breasted CotingaThe Purple-breasted Cotinga is a species of bird in the Cotingidae family.It is found in Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests....
, Cotinga cotinga - Banded CotingaBanded CotingaThe Banded Cotinga is a species of bird in the Cotingidae family.It is endemic to south-east Brazil.Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
, Cotinga maculata - Spangled CotingaSpangled CotingaThe Spangled Cotinga is a species of bird in the Cotingidae family, the cotingas. It is found in the canopy of the Amazon Rainforest in South America....
, Cotinga cayana