The Purple Breasted Cotinga might sound like its only purple, but its really not.  It is a beautiful bright blue, purple necked, and black tailed bird.  If you see a bright colored one, you are looking at a male cotinga.  If you see a dull brown one you are looking at a female cotinga.

​

The Purple Breasted Cotinga males are mostly brightly blue, with a purple patch on its neck, and blacked tailed.  The female cotingas are mainly brown at the top and a light brown at the bottom.  They both have rounded wings, strong legs, and short beeks.  The different coloration of the male and female might have to do with the mating, to make them look more attractive to one another.  Their size ranges about to 18cm to 19cm.

​

These Coringas have a range from Northern Mexico to Northern Argentina.  These species are mainly found in lowland primary tropical forest, some range into Montane forest.  They do well in forest because it has fruit and its never too hot or too cold.  The Purple Breasted Cotinga is mainly found in South America.  IN the past Cotingas have been used by native people for decorations or food.  The main worry for these birds is that in the future they might be endangered.  The Purple Breasted Cotinga is expected to fall by more than a quarter in the next 10 years.

 

These birds mainly eat fruit, but they eat insects when there is very few fruit left.  They help maintain the forest by spreading seeds from the fruit over a large area in their droppings. The Cotinga leans down from its perch to pick fruit off the tree in the forest.  They mainly eat in the mornings.  

 

Now when you hear the name Cotinga cotinga or The purple Breasted Cotinga always remember that its not really only purple.  These beautiful birds are very rarely seen due to the fact that they live so far into the forest and that they only eat in the mornings. 

 

Author:  Mercedes T

Published: 2/19/14

​

Sources: "Birds of Surinam." Birds of Surinam. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.; "Birds of Surinam." Birds of Surinam. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.; "Purple Breasted Cotinga (Cotinga Cotinga)." Planet of Birds. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.;