White-winged Cotinga Xipholena atropurpurea Scientific name definitions

The rarest and most threatened of the three cotingas of the genus Xipholena, the White-winged Cotinga is endemic to the Atlantic Forest biome of eastern Brazil, where its numbers are speculated to have declined dramatically, and its range has certainly shrunk significantly. In consequence, BirdLife International currently places this species in the Endangered category of the IUCN Red List. Its range encompasses the coastal forests between Paraíba and Rio de Janeiro, but in the modern day there are very few records south of Bahia. Nonetheless, compared to the equally beautiful Banded Cotinga (Cotinga maculata), an even more threatened cotinga of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, which at least formerly was found at many of the same sites in Espírito Santo and Bahia, the White-winged Cotinga seems to be clinging on slightly more successfully, presumably because it is capable of withstanding much more disturbance to the region’s remnant forests.

19 cm; male 58–65 g, female 56–67 g. Distinctive; wide-based bill rather flattened dorsoventrally, slightly hooked at tip, rictal bristles absent. Male plumage has very heavy deposition of carotenoid pigments combined with structural modification of barbs, producing hard glossy surface; shining blackish-purple on head  and body  , paler on tertials and uppertail-coverts; secondary wing-coverts as body, greater coverts (not elongated) with pointed tips, rest of wing white, black tips on primaries, outer webs of primaries with thickened rami; iris pale yellow; bill dark brownish-horn; legs brownish-black, soles buff-coloured. Female is ash-grey above  , blacker on wings and tail, outer edges of wing-coverts conspicuously white , underparts  slightly paler grey, somewhat mottled on breast  , narrow whitish eyering. Immature male  resembles female, full adult plumage apparently acquired after four or five moults of remiges and rectrices.

Coastal E Brazil from Paraíba S to N Rio de Janeiro.

Mainly dense humid forest ; also, in N of range, more open forest, and in drier areas (up to more than 100 km from coast in Pernambuco and Alagoas) relatively low, semi-deciduous forest; occasionally in low-growing (to 7–8 m) scrubby forest in sandy areas near coast. Sea-level to 900m.

None recorded.

Mainly fruit  , also insects; occasionally flowers, including those of family Malpighiaceae, also buds and stamens of Pachira (Bombacaceae). Wide variety of fruits  taken , with preference for those of 4–12 mm diameter; 29 species recorded, from 18 families, including Moraceae (4 species), Myrtaceae (4 species) and Lauraceae (3 species). Insect food includes caterpillars (Lepidoptera) and orthopterans (Tettigoniidae).

Male call a croak  , apparently similar to that of X. punicea; also high-pitched “chíu” notes. Loud “purp” given by both sexes. Whispering wing noise by both sexes in normal flight; quite loud wing noise by adult male in display-flight.

Incubation  recorded in Oct and egg-laying in Nov; gonad and moult data indicate season Oct–Feb. Displaying male makes upward flight of several metres from treetop perch, performs half-turn, descends steeply, with wings and tail conspicuously spread, to same perch; descent accompanied by loud wing noise. Nest a deep cup, very small for size of bird, apparently made of rootlets, perhaps with some moss, placed in fork between two vertical stems high up in tree; two recorded, one more than 15 m above ground, other 20 m up. Clutch almost certainly 1 egg; incubation and fledging periods not recorded.

VULNERABLE. CITES I. Restricted-range species: present in Atlantic Slope of Alagoas and Pernambuco EBA and Atlantic Forest Lowlands EBA. More or less confined to 13 protected areas (totalling 992·2 km²) along coast. Has undoubtedly suffered marked reduction in numbers and fragmentation of range as a result of extensive destruction of lowland forest; over 60% of Atlantic Forest habitat lost between 1980 and 1997. Recent study, however, indicates greater abundance, and also wider habitat tolerance, than formerly supposed; census transects in two areas in Bahia suggested between 310 and 1187 individuals in 60·3 km²; using these figures, population within protected areas extrapolated to be 12,000–13,000 individuals. Global population estimated at 3400–13000 mature individuals BirdLife International (2015) Species factsheet: Xipholena atropurpurea. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 16/06/2015. . Formerly assessed as globally Endangered, a re-assessment of this species' Extent of Occurrence in 2016 using a Minimum Convex Polygon led to its downlisting to Vulnerable in 2017. Most important areas for this species seem to be Pedra Talhada (IUCN Cat. Ia; 43·8 km²), Una (IUCN Cat. Ia; 187 km²) and Sooretama (IUCN Cat. Ia; 279 km²) Biological Reserves, Desengano State Park (IUCN Cat. II; 214 km²), and Monte Pascoal National Park (IUCN Cat. II; 223 km²). Continuing deforestation a threat, as also are fires, and illegal logging and other activities. Inadequate law enforcement in protected areas a major problem; several of those in which this species occurs are under threat, and the future of, especially, Monte Pascoal National Park is particularly insecure. Considered Endangered in Brazil until 2014 (2 Silveira, L.F. (2008). Xipholena atropurpurea (Wied, 18245). Pp. 518–519 in:. Close ), it is now classed as Vulnerable (3 MMA (2014). Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção. Portaria No 444, de 17 de dezembro de 2014. Diário Oficial da União - Seção 1. Nº 245, quinta-feira, 18 de dezembro de 2014. Close ).