Andean cock-of-the-rock calling, Jardin, Colombia
This is Henriette's favorite bird so we went to a place that gives really good odds of seeing them: the cock-of-the-rock reserve in Jardin. This reserve is simply a large forested garden operated by a nice old lady. There are no fences or nets, so the birds chose to be here. On any given day, you can see as little as 1 or as many as 30 cock-of-the-rocks. Almost all are males which are known for their loud and extravagant courtship displays.
I think we saw about 8 males, and no females. It's a very fun, loud and entertaining sight to see these males go nuts. They are constantly head-banging and loudly calling. They are of course all known for their appearance, in particular the disc-like crest that gives the illusion of the bird having a protruded head, and no beak. I'll be sharing many shots, get ready for lots of RED!
The Andean cock-of-the-rock is a medium-sized passerine bird of the Cotinga family native to Andean cloud forests in South America. It is widely regarded as the national bird of Peru. It has four subspecies and its closest relative is the Guianan cock-of-the-rock.
