Andean cocks-of-the-rock, Ecuador

© Kit Day/Alamy Stock Phot

Andean cocks-of-the-rock, Ecuador

If fashion had a bird ambassador, the cock-of-the-rock would steal the spotlight. The males? They look like they're wearing a bright orange-red costume, complete with a huge crest that almost covers their beak. With its bold colours, this native South American bird isn't just about looks—it's got the moves too.

The Andean and Guianan cock-of-the-rock are renowned for their theatrical courtship dances, making them true head-turners of the feathered kingdom. Females are far less flashy, with brownish feathers that help them stay hidden. During the mating season, males gather in leks—noisy display arenas—where they hop, squawk and shake their heads in an effort to impress a female. She watches, picks the best dancer, mates and then flies off to build a concave, cup-shaped mud nest on a rocky surface. The female typically lays two white eggs and incubates them for 25 to 28 days, raising the chicks on her own. The Andean cock-of-the-rock thrives in the cloud forests of the Andes, favouring dense, fruit-rich areas in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. As a frugivore, it primarily eats fruit and helps spread seeds throughout its habitat. It occasionally consumes insects and small vertebrates.