Red-crested Cotinga Ampelion rubrocristatus Scientific name definitions

The Red-crested Cotinga is a distinctive cotinga of the high Andes from Venezuela to Bolivia. The adult is gray overall with a white bill base to the bill and an inconspicuous tuft of red feathers, which generally is carried laid back along the nape. It has a white tail band that is particularly obvious in flight. It occurs in open cloud forest up to treeline and even above treeline in groves of Polylepis trees. Pairs or small groups often perch conspicuously in the tops of trees, sometimes giving a low, grating call.

21–21·5 cm; male 51–80 g, female 47–67 g. Plain cotinga  with long crest  , which usually laid flat along nape , but may be conspicuously displayed , raised and spread transversely . Plumage is grey , darker on head and, especially, on wings and tail; nuchal crest chestnut-maroon; white streaking on tail-coverts both above and below, extending to variable degree across rump and vent; white subterminal bar on tail (visible from below or in flight); iris deep red; base of bill ivory-white or very pale grey, tip blackish-grey; legs black or dark grey. Sexes alike in plumage. Immature paler than adult, with extensive pale feather fringes, diffuse rufous coloration mostly on head and neck; passes through succession of stages before gaining adult plumage.

N Colombia (Santa Marta Mts), also Sierra de Perijá (Colombia–W Venezuela border); and Andes from W Venezuela (S from NE Trujillo) and Colombia S to Bolivia (S to Santa Cruz).

Edges of cloudforest, patches of trees and bushes, locally hedgerows with trees bordering agricultural land. Mainly 2500–3900 m, exceptionally down to 2200 m.

Presumably resident.

Mainly fruits; occasionally insects. In E Andes of Colombia, fruits of 8 species (from 8 families) recorded, with Schefflera bogotensis (Araliaceae) and Hieronyma huilensis (Euphorbiaceae) numerically the most important. Fruits  usually plucked during aerial sally, sometimes from perched position; flying insects taken in short sallies from exposed perches. Sometimes in small groups of up to six individuals.

Commonest call a guttural, frog-like note, “rrrreh”; also, when disturbed, series of soft, nasal “eh-eh-eh…”.

Laying recorded in Jan in Peru and Nov in Bolivia; records of moult, presumably post-breeding, suggest no clearly defined breeding season in any part of range. Raises and spreads crest, lifts tail and bows during courtship. Nest a large cup of mosses, lichens and twigs, sited 1·3–3 m above ground in bush or on low tree branch. Clutch size not recorded, but one nest contained single nestling, and brood of two recently fledged young observed; incubation and fledging periods not documented.

Not globally threatened. Common to fairly common. Very wide range and tolerance of variety of disturbed habitats should ensure its survival. Occurs in several protected areas throughout range, including Sierra Nevada National Park (Venezuela), Munchique National Park (Colombia) and Podocarpus National Park (Ecuador).