Blue Cotinga Cotinga nattererii Scientific name definitions

A brilliantly-colored, turquoise-blue songbird of humid, tropical forests, the Blue Cotinga has a restricted range and is only found in parts of Panama, Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador. Strongly sexually-dimorphic, the female Blue Cotinga is actually dark brown and lacks the male's stunning blue plumage. The Blue Cotinga can be found in a range of elevations; normally found in the canopies of forests below 300 meters, it has been recorded in forests as high as 1400 meters in Colombia. Only recorded feeding on fruits, the Blue Cotinga may forage in small groups of up to 10 individuals. The Blue Cotinga's population is believed to be stable, and consequently has not been placed on any threatened species lists; however, better study of the population's structure and stability is needed.

18–20 cm. Male is mostly deep turquoise-blue  , feathers with concealed black bases, black eyering; wings  black, narrowly edged blue, edges broader on tertials and greater wing-coverts; median and lesser coverts similar to back; primary P9 with constricted inner web, P8 and P10 slightly so; tail (almost concealed by long uppertail-coverts) black; large purple-black patch on throat, larger and more purple one on breast  and upper belly; iris dark brown; upper mandible black with greyish base, lower mandible grey with blacker tip; legs dark grey or blackish. Differs from C. amabilis and C. ridgwayi mainly in rather smaller bill, black eyering, blacker throat patch, structure of primaries; uppertail-covert length usually intermediate. Female is dark brown with pale scaling above  , including on median and lesser wing-coverts  , has greater coverts  and secondaries edged cinnamon-buff; underparts  cinnamon-buff with dusky brown centres, giving scaly appearance, undertail-coverts plain cinnamon-buff. Immature resembles female, flight-feathers with buff tips (tend to wear off); male like adult when just over a year old, except that often initially slightly paler.

Panama (E from W Colón), Colombia (Pacific lowlands and E to middle Magdalena Valley), extreme W Venezuela (NW Táchira, Mérida) and NW Ecuador (Esmeraldas).

Canopy of humid forest and secondary woodland, mostly below 300 m, occasionally higher; to 1000 m, locally 1400 m, in Colombia.

None recorded.

Only fruit recorded, usually taken in brief fluttering sally. Sometimes forages in small groups of up to c. 10 individuals.

No vocal sound by male ; flying male makes whistling wing noise  . Loud shrieks by female at nest.

Two records of laying in Feb in Panama. Nest, used in two successive years, 28 m above ground in sandbox tree (Hura crepitans), in angle formed by orchid growing from side of nearly horizontal branch; clutch presumed 2 eggs, as 2 nestlings observed. No other information.

Not globally threatened. Uncommon to rare throughout range. Numbers undoubtedly much reduced by extensive destruction of lowland forest, especially in Ecuador, where now very rare. Rare in Río Claro Reserve, in Colombia.