The Andean Cock of the Rock, the national bird of Peru

The Andean Cock-of-the-rock or Rupicola Peruvianus is also known as “Tunki” in the Quechua language. It can be found in the cloud forests of the Andes in South America, in Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. They live at altitudes between 485 and 2,440 m (1,590 – 8,000 ft)

According to Supreme Resolution 983 of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, promulgated in the government of President Manuel Prado on December 11, 1941, the Cock of the Rocks is the national bird of Peru. It has become a checklist species for hundreds of international birdwatchers.

The Cock of the Rocks, the national bird of Peru

According to Supreme Resolution 983 of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, promulgated in the government of President Manuel Prado on December 11, 1941, the Cock of the Rocks is the national bird of bird. It has become a checklist species for hundreds of international birdwatchers.

Habitat:

The Andean Cock-of-the-rock can be found in the cloud forests of the Andes in South America. They live at altitudes between 485 and 2,440 m (1,590 – 8,000 ft)

What is the most outstanding characteristic of the Cock of the Rocks?

The Andean cock-of-the-rock is characterized by its unique mating dance. The dance is performed in a lek, which is a group of males that gather together for mating displays. Placed in absolute orders, they are offered to the females performing their best performance, in which the crest plays a major role because it attracts the most.

The birds’ bizarre-sounding calls can be heard from great distances, sometimes inadvertently attracting predators, such as jaguars, pumas and even boa constrictors.

Where in Peru can you see the cock of the rocks? 

You can find these lovely birds in protected areas like the following National Parks: 

• Abiseo river, in San Martin 
• Yanachaga – Chemillén, in Pasco
• Tingo María, in Huánuco
• Manu, in Cusco – Madre de Dios.

You can visit the protected forests like:

• Alto Mayo, in San Martín
• San Matías – San Carlos in Pasco
• Pui-Pui, in Junín.

You can also visit:

• San Ignacio
• The National Park of Cutervo
• Historical Sanctuary of Macchu Pichu and other similar territories, along the eastern slope of the Andes.

Difference between a male and female: 

The male Andean cock-of-the-rock has a bright red-orange head, neck, breast, and shoulders. It has a black body, gray wings, and a large disk-shaped crest of feathers that extends over its bill. The female is a brownish-orange over her whole body and has a smaller crest.

In both sexes, the wings and long tail feathers are black with a row of gray feathers along the inside edge. When not flying, the gray feathers look like a stripe along its back.

Female

Male

What does the cock-of-the–rock’s diet consist of?

It consists mainly of fruit. Often, these colorful birds do not digest the seeds of their fruity meals. Instead, the seeds pass through their digestive tracks and are eventually scattered along the ground, making these birds extremely important seed disperses. They are almost exclusively frugivorous, except pigeons, which are fed with insects during the first weeks. In addition to fruit, cocks-of-the-rock eat insects and small vertebrates.

Inkayni Additional note:

• They are large disseminators of seeds in the Peruvian Jungle, which contributes to the preservation of forests. In this way, they help the natural regeneration of their environment. 
• Currently, it is estimated that there are about 3,000 specimens so it is urgent to protect them nationally.

“Until you don’t treat animals with love and affection, you are not civilized and cultured” ― Sir P.S. Jagadeesh Kumar

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