Happy weekend, all.  I hope everyone is managing to keep their wits about them in this crazy world we have going on.  The bird this week is the Andean cock-of-the-rock (ACOTR), suggested by mobster hobbit and friend of the PT Frodo Corleone.  ACOTR is the national bird of Peru and is known for the bright plumage and distinctive crest sported by males of the species.  ACOTR live in cloud forests, “characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud cover, usually at the canopy level.”

The clouds in this forest give us the next entry in our occasional “words of the week.”  These clouds are referred to as “silvagenitus,” which is just a fantastic word, meaning “created from forest.”  In cloud forests, much of the water available to plants is in the form of fog drip, in which water condenses on plant leaves and other surfaces and drips onto the ground below.  Cloud forests are among the most biodiversity-rich ecosystems on earth.  ACOTR’s range in these forests encompasses about 100,000 square miles or 260,000 square kilometers and elevations from 1,600-7,900 feet (500-2,400m).  Despite it being hard to spot, there are enough cloud forests along the spine of South America that the UN lists it as non-threatened due to the size of its range.

ACOTR’s diet consists largely of fruits and insects, with an occasional small reptile or frog also recorded, and is in turn hunted by a variety of hawks, falcons, and owls, as well as jaguars, mountain lions, ocelots and the dreaded boa constrictor.  The birds are famous for their elaborate mating displays, characterized jumping, dancing and squealing.  Male ACOTR gather in groups called leks to put on displays and fight with each other.  According to one study, a key part of the mating display appears to be the level of ambient light, with two display sessions taking place each day, morning and afternoon, when the light level on the forest floor was around the same.  In addition to dancing, pairs of male ACOTR will pair up and participate in “confrontational displays,” in which females may join.  

Despite all of this hubbub on the part of the males, the plumage, the fighting, the dancing, the squealing, male ACOTR do not build nests and indeed have nothing to do with the process of raising chicks once they have mated.  Dudes, am I right? The females build cup-shaped nests out of vegetable matter, mud, and saliva, and lays two eggs which incubate for around 25-28 days. Have a good weekend, everyone, and remember that jumping, dancing and squealing are all valid ways to express your deeply held feelings.

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