Lovely cotinga facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lovely cotinga |
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Cotinga
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amabilis
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The lovely cotinga (Cotinga amabilis) is a beautiful bird known for its bright colors. It belongs to the Cotingidae family. You can find this bird in parts of North America and Central America. Its home stretches from southern Mexico through countries like Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and Nicaragua, all the way to Costa Rica. There have even been sightings in western Panama.
These birds live in warm, wet lowland forests. They can also be found in areas where forests used to be, but have changed a lot. Male lovely cotingas are a brilliant turquoise blue. The females are a more plain greyish-brown with lighter undersides. This bird is not considered in danger of disappearing. This is because there are many of them, and they live across a large area. The lovely cotinga is even mentioned in an old book called the Florentine Codex.
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What Does the Lovely Cotinga Look Like?
The lovely cotinga is about 7.5 in (19 cm) long when it's fully grown. It has a small, round head and a plump body. Its tail is quite short.
Male Lovely Cotinga
The male bird is a stunning turquoise blue. It looks a lot like another bird called the blue cotinga. However, the lovely cotinga does not have a black ring around its eyes. Its chest has a larger patch of purple, and the purple color is also deeper. The feathers used for flying are black with wide blue edges. The long blue feathers on its upper tail cover the black tail feathers.
Female Lovely Cotinga
The female lovely cotinga also looks similar to the female blue cotinga. Her upper body is greyish-brown with white patterns. Her belly is pale with grey spots and patches. Unlike the blue cotinga, her belly does not have a scaly look. These birds are usually quiet. But sometimes, when they fly, they make fluttering, rattling sounds.
Where Do Lovely Cotingas Live?
You can find the lovely cotinga in several countries. These include Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and Belize. They prefer to live in humid forests and along the edges of woodlands. They often eat fruit high up in the treetops. Early in the morning, you might see them sitting on a branch that sticks out above the forest canopy.
Is the Lovely Cotinga in Danger?
The lovely cotinga lives across a very wide area. However, it is not a very common bird to see. Experts believe there are between 20,000 and 49,999 adult lovely cotingas in the world. Even though their numbers seem to be slowly going down, the International Union for Conservation of Nature says the bird is of "least concern". This means they are not declining fast enough to be considered threatened.
