[A male Andean cock-of-the-rock perches on a small vine, positioned diagonally with one leg higher than the other. He has bright red feathers. He looks around, then flies away.] [Explore Macaulaylibrary.org]
End of transcriptBright Feathers of the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock
While many birds blend with their environment, others stand out, and few are more brilliant than the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, a bird found in the cloud forests of the Andes Mountains. These bright feathers attract potential mates, but this flashy approach is also risky because it can draw the attention of predators.
This video accompanies Chapter 4, Feathers and Plumages, Handbook of Bird Biology, 3rd Edition from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Wiley Publishing.
Recorded by Evan M Barrientos, Macaulay Library