Fun Cotinga Facts For Kids

Cotinga is a genus of birds that belong to the family Contigidae. It was founded by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson. These are bright-colored birds that live in South and Central America and the Amazon river basin.

They live in moist rainforests, rivers, streams. They are famous for their feathers as native people use them as ornaments or make fishing flies with them. The cotinga has a total of 66 species.

Here, we have many amazing and interesting facts about cotinga that you will enjoy. So let's take a look at these facts and information, and if you enjoy these then, do read our Northern rough-winged swallow facts and crested eagle facts.
 

What type of animal is a cotinga?

The spangled cotinga (Cotinga cayana) is a bird species that belongs to the family Cotingidae.

What class of animal does a cotinga belong to?

The cotinga is a bird, and like other birds, it belongs to the class Aves.

How many cotingas are there in the world?

The Cotingidae family is divided into many species, and each species has many birds under its category. Therefore, the exact population of the cotinga birds in the world is not known.

Where does a cotinga live?

The spangled cotinga (Cotinga cayana) has a wide geographic range, and its habitat is spread across Southern Mexico, South America, Central America, and the Amazon river basin in Brazil. These places are filled with moist lowland forests and provide them with sufficient food to fulfill their diet.

What is a cotinga habitat?

A cotinga's habitat includes places like the subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. These places provide plenty of food for them.

Who does cotinga live with?

The spangled cotinga is a social bird and is often seen living in pairs or with other birds. They are non-aggressive birds and passive birds.

How long does a cotinga live?

There is not much information available about the lifespan of cotingas, but they are estimated to live for up to 18 years.

How do they reproduce?

The spangled cotinga performs a courtship ritual in which if a male wants to attract a female, he removes twigs or leaves of a small area on the ground. This area is called a 'lek' or 'lek court'. Multiple males might go to that area and perform calls, sing, dance by hopping, or perform short flights. Some species lek on branches above the ground instead of the ground. Female watches multiple males performing this 'lekking' and chooses her mate.

A male mates with as many females as possible during the breeding season. They do not stay with the female after mating and do not even help in building the nest. The females lay a single egg and incubate and raise the young one alone. The egg hatch in around 21 days and the young chicks fledge after 16-25 days.

What is their conservation status?

Various species of cotingas have different conservation statuses. For example, the spangled cotinga has the conservation status of Least Concern. The total population of this bird is unknown, but all we know is that it is stable.

What do cotingas look like?

Cotingas are brightly colored birds. They have shiny feathers of various colors, such as red, orange, blue, green, and purple. It depends on the species. For example, spangled cotingas have brightly colored turquoise-blue bodies along with black wings and black tails. In addition, they have a large purple patch under their throat. Females have light brown spotted breasts, and their back is dull and dark brown.

The banded cotinga (Cotinga maculata) is another example of this species which is bright blue with a black-spotted back. It gets its name from the blue band across its chest.

How cute are they?

All cotingas, like the spangled cotinga, are cute little birds. They are adorable and harmless. They often live with other birds and have no problem interacting with humans.

How do they communicate?

Cotingas are one of the loudest in the bird family. Capuchinbird, a species of cotinga, makes a loud cry. It uses its air sacs to amplify the sound and make it carry over a longer distance. This sound is similar to the mooing of a young cow, which is why it is called a 'calfbird'.

How big is a cotinga?

Cotingas vary in size. They can be as small as 8 in (20.32 cm) and as large as 20 in (50.8 cm). Spangled cotingas are about 7-8.6 in (18-22 cm) in size. They are the smallest among the cotinga species.

How fast can a cotinga fly?

Cotingas are slow fliers. The purple-throated fruit crow is one of the largest among the cotinga species. It is a slow and swift flier and uses its aerial maneuverability to pluck insects and fruits from the leaves and branches of tropical trees. Their exact speed, however, is not known.

How much does a cotinga weigh?

A spangled cotinga bird is quite small and lightweight. It weighs only about 2-2.5 oz (56-72 g), the smallest among the Cotingidae family.

What are the male and female names of the species?

The males and females of the species do not have any separate names. However, they can be easily distinguished by appearance. Males have turquoise-blue backs, spattered with black, while females have dull dark brown backs.

What would you call a baby cotinga?

A baby cotinga is called a chick, like the baby of all other birds. The females lay a single egg only and take care of it alone without any help from the male as males leave after mating. The egg incubates in about 21 days, and the young chick fledges in 16-25 days.

What do they eat?

The diet of the cotinga is mainly made up of seeds or fruits. Cotingas, like the spangled cotingas, are frugivores and often search through the canopy for small fruits. They often share a single fruit tree with other cotinga species.

Are they dangerous?

Cotingas are completely harmless birds. They are non-aggressive and passive except during nesting. While nesting, they might attack humans or any other intruders. They are often seen living and feeding on a single tree with other species of birds.

Would they make a good pet?

Cotingas are members of a diverse group of brightly colored birds found in Central and South America. People generally love them for their unique colors. Feathers of this bird are often used to make ornaments or to be used as fishing flies. Please adhere to your local laws and regulations about the suitability of them as pets.

Did you know...

Various species of cotingas live in Central America and South America. They are found in Brazil in the Amazon river basin and Ecuador, and French Guiana. They are commonly found in a moist lowland forest. Spangled cotingas are called 'cotinga de cayenne' in french.

The word cotinga means any tropical American passerine bird of the family Cotingidae, such as the umbrellabird and the cock of the rock.

They are found in the canopy regions of the Amazon rainforest and live and feed on high and tall trees.

Who introduced cotinga?

The French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson discovered and introduced cotingas into the world. He kept this name because, in the extinct Tupi language, it means 'a bright forest bird'.

How many species does cotinga have?

According to the International Ornithological Congress (IOC), there are 66 species of cotingas in the world. A few of them are the plum-throated cotinga (Cotinga maynana), Cocks of the Rock, banded cotinga (Cotinga maculata), turquoise cotinga (Cotinga ridgwayi), and lovely cotinga (Cotinga amabilis).

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 Alder flycatcher facts and northern rough-winged swallow facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable cotinga coloring pages.