Snowy Cotinga - BirdForum Opus

Photo by rdavis
La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica, December 2015

Carpodectes nitidus

Identification

19·5–21 cm (7¾-8¼)

• Bill is bluish-gray, with a broad base and ridged culmen; upper mandible has a notched tip

Male

• Bluish-white over-all plumage

Female has browner upperside

• Rictal bristles (absent in male)

Distribution

Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and westernmost Panama. At least in Panama limited to the Caribbean side¹.

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[2].

Habitat

Tall second growth moist tropical forest, lowland rainforest, canopy of semi-open moist lowland forests and borders.

Behaviour

Diet

Their diet consists almost entirely of fruits, mostly mistletoe and figs. They feed both perched and on the wing.

Breeding

They build a small cup shaped nest from dry tendrils and lichens. A single large egg is laid, which is incubated for 27 days.

References

1. Ridgely & Gwynne 1989. Birds of Panama. Princeton Paperbacks. ISBN 0691025126
2. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
3. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved April 2016)

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Snowy Cotinga. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 25 April 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Snowy_Cotinga

External Links

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