LifespanUnknown
Quick facts
HabitatRainforests
RangeSouth America
The Capuchinbird
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Capuchin Monk Moniker
The capuchinbird has an unconventional look bordering on weird. It sports a bald head and hunched-up brown feathers that resemble the cloak of a capuchin monk.
This bizarre bird inhabits the evergreen lowland rainforests of South America where it forages for fruits and large insects in the canopy.
Dancing for Divas
South American rainforests are resource rich. With plenty of food to go around, male capuchinbirds and many others have the time to perfect their song and dance moves to court the divas.
The competitive performances occur in communal leks deep in the forest and high up in the trees.
Strange Songs
At display leks, up to eight males gather to sing for the girls. Capuchinbirds belt out one of the strangest songs amongst birds, sounding like a cross between a mooing cow and a chain saw, which has earned them the name ‘calfbirds’.
The moo is produced by inflating and deflating the air sacs around the throat. The best performer wins mating rights with the females.
Solo Parenting
Females tend to build their twiggy cup nests in the vicinity of lek sites, close to other nests. Each mother bird lays an egg, incubates it for nearly a month, and brings up the lone chick on her own.
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An Elusive Subject
Despite its mooing call and communal display, this bird is surprisingly shy and elusive. In its dense and remote forest home, it leks in secluded spots that are difficult to access.
When not performing, it stays silent and blends into its habitat, making it challenging to locate and study.
The IUCN Status
LC
Least Concern
At relatively low risk of extinction
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.
DD
Data Deficient
Unknown risk of extinction
LC
Least Concern
At relatively low risk of extinction
NT
Near Threatened
Likely to become vulnerable in the near future
VU
Vulnerable
At high risk of extinction in the wild
EN
Endangered
At very high risk of extinction in the wild
CR
Critically Endangered
At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild
EW
Extinct in the Wild
Survives only in captivity
EX
Extinct
No surviving individuals in the wild or in captivity
