Long-wattled Umbrellabird
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| ;"|Long-wattled Umbrellabird | ||||||||||||||
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| Cephalopterus penduliger Sclater, 1859 |
The Long-wattled Umbrellabird, Cephalopterus penduliger is a bird found on the seaward slopes of mountains in Colombia and Ecuador. It migrates up and down the mountains. It is sensitive to habitat destruction, and its conspicuous size and appearance make it easy to hunt. Furthermore, only a few of the populations live within protected areas, so the bird is now considered vulnerable.
The bird's common name comes from the long wattle that the male carries, which is about 35 cm long and covered in short, scaly feathers. The females, by contrast, not only do not have a wattle, but are only about half the size of the males, and resemble crows.
The species do not fly well, and instead walk around in the canopy so enemy birds do not attack from above. Their diet is of insects and fruit. Their nest was first seen by scientists in 2003. In breeding season, the males shout a loud call.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2004). Cephalopterus penduliger. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 6 February 2007. Database entry includes justification for why this species is vulnerable
- Tim Flannery and Peter Schouten. Astonishing Animals: Extraordinary Creatures and the Fantastic Worlds They Inhabit. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2004. Page 26
