Skip to main content

Andean cock-of-the-Rock

Rupicola peruvianus

Description: The male Andean cock-of-the-rock has a bright orangish-red disk-like crest of fluffy feathers that extends over its short bill. Bill and feet are golden-yellow. Scarlet or brilliant orange plumage covers its head, neck, breast, and shoulders. The wings and long tail feathers are black with a row of gray feathers along the inside edge. When not flying, the gray feathers look like a stripe along its back. Females are much darker and browner than the males and have a shorter crest.

Size: Adults are 11-12.5 inches (28-32 cm) in length and weigh 8.3 ounces (235 gr)

Behavior: Andean cocks-of-the-rock are fairly shy birds and not easily spotted, despite their vibrant colors. During the breeding season, males gather into leks for competitive courtship rituals. The rituals consist of energetic wing flapping and ritualized bowing and jumping.

Diet: The cock-of-the–rock’s diet consists mainly of fruit. Often, these colorful birds do not digest the seeds of their fruity meals. Instead the seeds pass through their digestive tracks and are eventually scattered along the ground, making these birds extremely important seed dispersers. In addition to fruit, cocks-of-the-rock eat insects and small vertebrates.

Communication: A wide array of vocalizations are produced, including different popping noises produced by snapping the bill.

Reproduction: Nests are built by the female, typically near the male lekking grounds. The cup-shaped nests are usually plastered to a damp rock face within crevices of cliffs or ravines (thus the common name due to their preference of rocks or similar substrate for nest placement). On average, a nest weighs nearly 2.2 pounds (1 kg) and is made of clay mixed with vegetable fibers and covered with lichens. Females usually lay two eggs per year, which are incubated for about 28 days. Couples are not monogamous and males do not participate in caring for the young.

Habitat/range: The Andean Cock-of-the-rock is distributed in Andean cloud forests in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. It is the national bird of Peru.

Status: The Andean cock-of-the-rock is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List; listed on Appendix II of CITES.

Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Passeriformes
Family:Cotingidae
Genus:Rupicola
Species:peruvianus