An unusual looking bird, the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock has become as must see for birders visiting Ecuador. On my recent trip to Ecuador I was lucky enough to see a group of these unique birds. The stunning scarlet feathers and disc-like head with black and white wings of the male bird certainly makes him stand out, but that doesn’t mean he’s easy to spot! It is certainly a case of the “early bird”, as we were up at 5.30am in the dark to head off to find him. Early in the morning as the sun rises groups of males gather together to show off to each other and sometimes to a potential mate, by bobbing and hopping in their favourite trees, and making raucous calls. The display lasts about 20 mins or so, before the birds head off into the forest to find breakfast.
The Andean cock-of-the-rock lives in the cloud forests of the Andes and can be found across Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. The name is derived from their habit of nesting in rock walls and they can be found in ravines and by forested streams in montane areas. Due to Ecuador’s small size it is easy to get to the cloud forests and we spotted them near Bucay, which is only an hour away from Guayaquil.
The female is significantly darker and browner than the male making her even harder to spot. However, the breeding season in Ecuador lasts from July until February and so this is a good time to see her whilst the males are eager to impress. The male’s energy is entirely devoted to their very elaborate display rituals and if you are lucky you may even see the males breaking off into pairs to perform confrontation displays. These displays get even more frenzied when the female approaches. However, sadly for the female the display is all she gets! After mating the female will build a nest in a rocky overhang, incubate the eggs and raise the young all by herself.
There are also many other species of birds to see in the Cloud Forests including toucans and tanagers. If you are interested in more bird watching options, please see our day trip to Antisana and watch this space for a new bird watching itinerary coming soon!
