Umbrellabird

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"Cephalopterus" redirects here. For the extinct fish, see List of thelodont genera.

Umbrellabirds
Long-wattled umbrellabird (Cephalopterus penduliger)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cotingidae
Genus: Cephalopterus
E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1809
Type species
Cephalopterus ornatus[1]
E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1809
Species

Umbrellabird is the common name referring to three species of birds in the genus Cephalopterus. They are named for their distinct umbrella-like hoods.

The umbrellabird was described by

habitat loss
, and two of the three species are at risk of extinction.

Basic Information

Umbrellabirds can be found in the rainforests of Central and South America. They are generally solitary, but known to co-inhabit areas with other birds including other umbrellabirds, and similar species such as woodpeckers.[3]

With a total length of 35–50 cm (14–19.5 in), it is among the largest members of the cotinga family, and the male Amazonian umbrellabird is the largest passerine in South America. The typical weight of an umbrellabird ranges from 320 to 570 g (.77 to 1.26 lbs), with a wingspan reaching about 66 to 71 cm (26 to 28 in).[4]

Umbrellabirds are thought to live for an average of 16 years in the wild.[5]

Physiology

The umbrellabird is almost entirely black, and has a conspicuous crest on the top of its head, vaguely resembling an umbrella (hence its

calls. From this loud and deep voice, it has received its Indian name ueramimbé, meaning "piper-bird". It utters its call early in the morning and in the afternoon.[6] This wattle may reach a length of 35 cm (14 in) in the long-wattled umbrellabird, but it is smaller in the two remaining species, and covered in bare, bright-red skin in the bare-necked umbrellabird. Umbrellabirds produce one of the deepest songs (less than 300 Hz) among passerines.[7] The umbrellabird finds flying difficult because of its large size, but can indeed fly short distances, although it tends to be relatively slow and clunky in the air.[8] So, it exhibits hopping between different branches with the help of its clawed toes.[9]
Females resemble males, but are noticeably smaller and have a reduced crest and wattle.

Behavior

The lifestyle of the umbrellabird is

vertebrates (e.g. lizards). As it feeds on seeds or ingests a seed while eating a fruit, it plays a role in its native ecosystem by distributing the seeds across the forest floor, which spreads the plants' range.[8] These birds are also known as altitudinal migrants because of their ability to migrate up and down the mountains instead of typical north/south across the land.[9]

The males gather in loose

incubate and raise the chicks without help from the males. The nest is made from moss, leaves, and twigs that are present inside the tree. The nest is made far from the ground so it can be well protected from predators of the eggs.[4] The female lays a single egg, occasionally two, which is incubated for only a month before it hatches, with the chick then being fed by its mother before it leaves the nest a few months later.[6]

Conservation status

Two of the three species, the long-wattled and bare-necked umbrellabirds, are threatened by

pet trade.[10]

Other names

Other common names are bullbird, coracine ombrelle in French, Nacktkehl-Schirmvogel in German, and pájaro paraguas de cuello desnudo in Spanish.

Species

Image Scientific name Common name Distribution Conservation status
Cephalopterus penduliger Long-wattled umbrellabird Southwestern part of Colombia to the province of El Oro in Ecuador Vulnerable
Cephalopterus ornatus Amazonian umbrellabird Amazon basin Least-concern
Cephalopterus glabricollis Bare-necked umbrellabird Costa Rica and Panama Endangered

References

  1. ^ "Cotingidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  2. ^ "Umbrellabird". AZ Animals. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
  3. ^ "Amazing Facts about Umbrellabirds | OneKindPlanet Animal Education". OneKindPlanet. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
  4. ^ a b "Best 20 Umbrellabird Facts, Weight, Age, Classification". Retrieved 2021-10-12.
  5. ^ a b "Long-wattled Umbrellabird - eBird". ebird.org. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
  6. ^ a b c "The Bizarre Umbrellabird". Not Your Average American. 2019-05-02. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
  7. doi:10.1111/ele.13662
    .
  8. ^ a b c "Umbrellabird | bird". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
  9. ^ a b c d "Umbrellabirds | Beauty of Birds". www.beautyofbirds.com. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
  10. ^ a b "Long-wattled Umbrellabird". American Bird Conservancy. Retrieved 2021-10-12.

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cephalopterus.
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