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The Andean Cock-of-the-Rock
The national bird of Peru has an unforgettable look and voice!
© Nathan Rupert
The Andean-Cock-of-the-Rock sounds like a cross between a chainsaw and a squealing pig. The national bird of Peru, male birds of this species sport a splendid bright red plumage along with a head crest reminiscent of a knight’s battle helmet. Females choose their mate from among a group of bickering males, then build a nest high on a cliff wall.
BirdNote®
The Andean Cock-of-the-Rock
Written by Benjamin Swift
This is BirdNote.
[Cloud forest soundscape]
The cloud forests of the Andes Mountains offer a symphony of bird sounds. But there’s also something…less melodic.
[Andean Cock-of-the-Rock calls]
Something that sounds like a cross between a chainsaw… and… a squealing pig. In fact it’s another bird, the Andean-Cock-of-the-Rock.
[Andean Cock-of-the-Rock calls]
The national bird of Peru, male birds of this species sport a splendid bright red plumage along with a head crest reminiscent of a knight’s battle helmet. Their head gear is often so big it looks like it might throw them off balance in flight! True to form with their bold plumage, the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock also takes part in, well, “cocky” mating rituals.
[Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek calls, XC801385]
During mating season, groups of males gather at centrally located “leks,” or breeding spots, where they scream, grunt, flap their wings, bob their heads, and clack their bills at each other in mock fights.
Once the more modest brown-feathered females arrive to the party, they make their choice amongst the dancing males. Then, they head off to build a nest high in a cliff wall. As for the mate? She leaves him back in the lek to keep bickering with the other jealous suitors.
[Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek calls, XC801385]
For Bird Note, I’m Ariana Remmel.
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Senior Producer: John Kessler
Producer: Mark Bramhill
Managing Editor: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Conor Gearin
Content Director: Jonese Franklin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Golden-headed Quetzal ML581895461 recorded by Matthew Douglas Gable, and Andean Cock-of-the-Rock ML337673061 recorded by Josep del Hoyo.
Xeno Canto XC801385 recorded by José María Loaiza B.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2023 BirdNote December 2023
Narrator: Ariana Remmel
ID# ANDCOT-01-2023-12-18 ANDCOT-01
Reference:
https://abcbirds.org/bird/andean-cock-of-the-rock/
https://www.jstor.org/stable/26501270
https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/andcot1/cur/introduction
Benjamin Swift
Writer