FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Do you like colorful birds, like the blue and yellow macaw? Then we have all the information about the beautiful blue cotinga (Cotinga nattererii). The blue cotinga belongs to the Cotingidae family. It is found mainly in habitats, like humid lowland and heavily degraded former forest that is flourishing again.
They can be seen perched high above the canopy. They have an overall dove-like appearance. Males of these birds have an eye-catching shining blue and purple body, while the females have a brown and buff body. It's rare to hear blue cotingas as males of the species don't make any sounds at all. However, the females can be heard making loud shrieking noises. They are pretty common in the parts of the world they inhabit. However, that number is decreasing every day due to habitat loss.
Read on to know more about the blue cotingas, and if you like this article, then also check out our articles on the grebe and blue and yellow macaw too.
The blue cotinga (Cotinga nattererii) is a species of bird.
The blue cotinga belongs to the class Aves of animals.
The population range of the blue cotingas is thought to be around 50000-499999 mature birds. Although they are known to be pretty common in their habitat range, the population seems to have a decreasing trend.
The geographical distribution of these birds is not very wide. They live within the parts of northwest Ecuador, from the Pacific lowlands to the eastern and central Magdalena valley of Colombia, central Panama, and the extreme west of Venezuela. These birds are not known to migrate.
Blue contingas can only be seen above the canopy of secondary and humid forests. Secondary forests are usually the rebirth of a heavily degraded former forest. They can strictly be seen within an elevation of 0.2-0.6 mi (300-1000 m) and only in Venezuela, they can be seen within an elevation of 0.9 mi (1400 m). To summarize, they live in the tropical moist lowland.
Blue cotingas (Cotinga nattererii) are usually solitary birds. However small groups of these birds can be seen above the canopy of fruit trees. They also come together during the breeding season.
It's not known how long blue cotingas live for, but spangled cotingas, similar species from the same genus live for about 10-12 years depending on the predation, diet, and human disturbances around the species. We can assume the same for the blue cotingas.
The breeding season of the species occurs around January-April. Due to a lack of research, nothing is known about the courtship behavior of these birds. After copulation, the females lay about two eggs on average. The breeding nest has been seen to be used more than once.
The conservation status of the blue cotingas according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature is listed as Least Concern. The population of the birds is decreasing due to habitat loss.
Blue cotinga (Cotinga nattererii) birds are medium-sized and look a lot like doves. They display strong sexual dimorphism. The male blue cotinga is mostly blue in color. Its chest and throat are shining blue with a purple tinge, while it has a purple patch on the center of its belly. Its tail and wings are black in color with blue edges and it has a black eye-ring. The females on the other hand have a dark brown color on the dorsal side and lighter brown on the ventral side, while both have buff edges. The female blue cotingas have an overall scaly effect.
This species of cotinga bird can be pretty cute due to its beautiful colors. They are also not known to be aggressive, which certainly adds to their charm.
The males of this species of cotinga are not known to make any sounds. However, when they are in flight, a whistling noise can be heard made by their wings. The females have been heard to make loud shrieks.
Blue cotingas grow up to about 7-8 in (18-20 cm) in size. They are slightly smaller than blue jays, which are about 9–12 in (22–30 cm) in size.
The exact speed at which blue cotingas (Cotinga nattererii) fly is not known. However, they have been seen to fly at a moderate speed. They flutter their wings at a good pace because when in flight, their wings are known to make a whistling noise.
The exact weight of these birds is not known. However, the average weight of blue cotinga, lovely cotinga, and other species of birds belonging to the cotinga family, Cotingidae, is about 2.5 oz (70 g).
The males of the species are called cocks, and the females are called hens.
A baby blue cotinga is called a chick or a hatchling.
These birds are known to be herbivores. They are only known to eat fruits. Small groups of 10 or fewer birds forage for fruits in the trees.
They are not known to be dangerous towards humans or other animals. However, we can assume that like any animals they would also respond aggressively if threatened in any way.
There have been no records of these birds being kept as pets. In addition, they also like to perch on trees high above the canopy, and they also require certain habitat conditions to survive. If they are taken from that natural habitat, it would only harm them.
The blue cotinga (Cotinga nattererii) nest is mainly built by the female. The nest is built about 92-98 ft (28-30 m) above the ground on a horizontal canopy limb.
The most similar species is the turquoise cotinga (Cotinga ridgwayi). The only few differences in assistance between the two are that blue cotingas have darker throat patches, possess a black eye-ring, and have smaller beaks.
The blue cotinga is endemic to only a few places, such as the Pacific lowlands to the eastern and central Magdalena valley of Colombia, central Panama, north-west Ecuador, and west Venezuela.
Blue cotingas lay about two eggs on average.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our monk parakeet facts and hummingbird facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Cotinga coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising.
We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published.
Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.
We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
Was this article helpful?
We’ll send you tons of inspiration to help you find a hidden gem in your local area or plan a big day out.
Check your inbox for your latest news from us. You have subscribed to:
Remember that you can always manage your preferences or unsubscribe through the link at the foot of each newsletter.