Orange-breasted Fruiteater Pipreola jucunda Scientific name definitions

The Orange-breasted Fruiteater is a particularly stunning member of the genus Pipreola found on the western slope of the Andes Mountains in northern Ecuador and southern Colombia. It is uncommon to fairly common in foothill and cloud forest, where individuals are generally discovered when a rapid movement gives away their location, often at a fruiting tree where one or more individuals may be feeding. The call is high, thin, and easily-overlooked. Like other fruiteaters, the Orange-breasted is sexually dimorphic. In the male, a brilliant orange throat and bright yellow belly contrast with dark green upperparts and a black head. The female is more uniform green with some yellow streaking below. Both sexes share a bright red bill, yellow eyes, and the stocky, plump structure typical of fruiteaters and other cotingas.

18 cm. Male has glossy black hood , green upperparts, wings and tail; large fiery orange patch  on chest extending narrowly to side of neck, bordered below by narrow black line at side; side of breast solid green, rest of underparts yellow, merging with green on flanks  ; iris  light yellow to orange; bill orange to red; legs greenish-grey. Differs from P. pulchra in lacking green tinge on head, more fiery orange chest. Female is entirely green above and on chin and throat  , rest of underparts  streaked yellow and green. Juvenile  undescribed.

W slope of W Andes in Colombia (S from S Chocó) and Ecuador (S to E Guayas).

Occupies montane forest at 600–2300 m, mainly 1100–1300 m; favours very wet mossy forest.

Apparently, only fruit, taken while perched or in clumsy hover. Occasionally in mixed-species flocks.

Extremely high-pitched , hissing “se-e-e-e-e-e-e-e” , lasting 2–2·5 seconds; also loud high-pitched “eeest”, repeated at short intervals.

In Ecuador, a recently abandoned nest contained a dead chick in Nov; nest cup-shaped, placed in a tree (Palicourea) at 4∙5 m above the ground, and made of live and dead mosses, with fine twigs and fearn fibres inside (1 Solano-Ugalde, A. (2011). Notes on the distribution and natural history of bird species in the Chocó bioregion of Ecuador. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 131(4): 249–255. Close ); also in Ecuador, nest  with a nestling , attended by both adults, recorded in Nov#R , and pair with nesting material seen in Dec (1 Solano-Ugalde, A. (2011). Notes on the distribution and natural history of bird species in the Chocó bioregion of Ecuador. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 131(4): 249–255. Close ).  In Colombia, one record of breeding in wild: female carrying food in Apr (laying probably in Mar), nest concealed within dense clump of vines (2 Strewe, R. (2001). Notes on nests and breeding activity of fourteen bird species from southwestern Colombia. Ornitología Neotropical 12(3):265–269. Close ). In captivity, clutch 2 eggs, incubation 16 or 17 days.

Not globally threatened. Restricted-range species: present in Chocó EBA. Uncommon to locally fairly common; most frequent in optimal habitat of mossy cloudforest in upper tropical zone. Occurs in La Planada Nature Reserve and Río Ñambí Natural Reserve, in Colombia.