Head to head
Spangled Cotinga vs Andean Cock-of-the-rock
Spangled Cotinga
VS Andean Cock-of-the-rock
Both belong to the cotinga family and show extraordinary male colouring, but their courtship strategies differ completely.
| Spangled Cotinga | Andean Cock-of-the-rock | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Cotinga cayana | Rupicola peruvianus |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Courtship strategy | Solitary, no lek display | Communal lek display |
| Body colour | Brilliant turquoise-blue | Blazing orange to scarlet |
| Distinguishing feature | Deep purple throat patch | Oversized half-moon crest |
| Habitat | Amazon rainforest canopy | Andean cloud forest |
| Nesting | Not specifically documented | Mud nest plastered to rock faces |
| Diet | Mainly fruit | Mainly fruit, some insects and small vertebrates |
Spangled Cotinga vs Andean Cock-of-the-rock: common questions
Which bird performs a competitive courtship display?
The Andean cock-of-the-rock does, gathering with other males at a shared lek to perform bobbing and bowing displays for visiting females, unlike the quiet, solitary spangled cotinga.
How can you tell these two birds apart?
The spangled cotinga shows brilliant turquoise-blue plumage with a purple throat patch, while the Andean cock-of-the-rock displays blazing orange to scarlet plumage topped by an oversized half-moon crest.
Where does the Andean cock-of-the-rock build its nest?
It plasters a cup-shaped mud nest reinforced with saliva directly onto vertical rock faces or cave walls, a nesting habit not shared by the spangled cotinga.