Black-tipped Cotinga Carpodectes hopkei Scientific name definitions

The Black-tipped Cotinga is the South American replacement of Snowy Cotinga (Carpodectes nitidus) and is found distributed from extreme eastern Panama (Darien) along the west slope of Colombia south to northwestern Ecuador. It is local and uncommon in mature forest and forest edge in the lowlands and lower foothills. The male is entirely white, with indistinct black tips to the outer flight feathers and central tail feathers, that are difficult to see at great distance. Females are grayish above and white below, with distinct white edging to the wing coverts and flight feathers. As in other members of the Carpodectes, the female has a distinct white eyering. The male is unlikely to be confused for any other species, and it does not overlap with other members of the genus. Female somewhat similar looking to a female Pompadour Cotinga (Xipholena punicea), but unlikely to overlap with. As with other members of the genus, no vocalizations are known for it. Males perform a distinctive flight display, swooping with broad flaps from tree to tree. Mainly seen perched on emergent dead branches in the canopy. Forages in fruiting trees where groups of females known to congregate.

Male 23·5–25 cm, female 22–23·5 cm. Wide-based bill  with ridged culmen, tip of upper mandible notched, distinctly uncinate; rictal bristles absent in male, slightly developed in female. Male  is all white  (hardly any grey tinge on crown, back and tail), except for small blackish spots on tips of outer primaries  and central pair of rectrices; flight-feathers broad and rounded at tip; iris  orange to dark red; bill  black; legs blackish, dull brown pads of toes. Differs from C. nitidus and C. antoniae in larger size, longer tail, purer white plumage, black spots on primaries and tail. Female is rather dark greyish above, wings and tail blackish, wing-coverts and inner flight-feathers edged white, paler grey below, becoming white on lower underparts, secondaries notably less broad than male’s; differs from females of congeners in darker upperparts, less white at tips of wing-coverts. Immature is like female; subadult male resembles adult, but flight-feathers with dark markings, most or all of rectrices black-tipped.

SE Panama (Darién), and Pacific lowlands of W Colombia and NW Ecuador (S to S Pichincha).

Humid forest, including mangroves, occasionally adjacent secondary woodland; to c. 900 m, once recorded at 1450 m.

Mainly fruit, but no details. Often recorded at universally popular Cecropia trees. Sometimes in small groups of 5–6 individuals.

Not globally threatened. Rare to locally fairly common. Occurs in Darién National Park, in Panama, and Río Palenque Science Centre, in Ecuador. Global population undoubtedly reduced by recent destruction of lowland forest, especially in NW Ecuador . Formerly considered Near-threatened; should perhaps be returned to that conservation category.