Andean cock-of-the-rock
Yupp this is a real living bird!
For which we woke up at 4 am, drove for an hour on deserted roads passing sleeping villages of the Andes. Walked down a steep narrow mountain trail for almost a hour... Then just as the sky grew light, we met a group of Andean Cock-of-the-rock. A flamboyant and loud and absolutely mesmering. For an hours or so, they jumped from tree to tree and branch to branch. Calling and clicking to impress their ladies. Then as if on a signal we didn't catch they disappeared in a moment.
It was quiet. We missed them already.
Drawing in our breath, realising we had witnessed a very special show.
Scientific Name: Rupicola peruvianus
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Date photographed: March 2025
Location: Alto Anchicayá - El Descanso (Doña Dora) - COLOMBIA
Info sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andean_cock-of-the-rock & https://ebird.org/species/andcot1
