Bare-necked Umbrellabird

Habitat

This bird lives in the middle and upper levels of the primary forest in the Caribbean lowlands.

Range

The Umbrellabird is found throughout Costa Rica and western Panama.  birds facts The majority of the time is its lowlands and the foothills that surround the Caribbean slope, where females generally reside at a lower altitude of 200m and males range from 100 to 500 meters, the species is able to move higher and nest between 800-2,000 meters.

Physical Description

With one of the most bizarre plumages that can be found throughout Costa Rica, the uncommon Bare-necked Umbrellabird is a fascinating sight. Both genders have bulky bodies, large bills as well as short tails. They also have large long wings. Their heads are accentuated by the umbrella-shaped crest that is affixed to their beaks. The male’s crest is bigger than the female’s The long black feathers cover the center of his face,

and extend towards the bottom of his beak, forming a poofy shape. The female’s crest, however, is smaller, almost like an oddly cut crew, making her head appear flat. Males have bluish-black back feathers that females don’t have. He also has a massively large, bright orange-red sac on his throat, which can be inflated when displayed during rituals of breeding.

Interesting Biology

Outside of breeding season, the Umbrellabird can be found alone or in small groups. It hunts in the primary forests, from midlevel up towards the canopy searching for trees that are fruiting. It might venture into large second growths that border the canopy closed zone too. It’s not a sneaky hunter.

It is a noisy scavenger, crying, grunting or chuckling while it moves from its perch to a food source or when it examines the branch it is perched on to hunt for prey. The Umbrellabird is able to smack its prey with branches before taking it in and swallowing it.

In the breeding season, the Bare-necked

umbrellabird utilizes an unexploded mating system. The males create loosely bound groups that sit and show off within a specified space. Leks belonging to the Umbrellabird comprise four males which each choose three perches between 5 and 10 meters high, which is where they can spend their time in daylight unless they require food.

When they perform the males’ throat sacs, they inflate the throat cavity until it appears like a massive fruit emerging from the bird. The the bird leans forward before he unleashes a loud, booming sound that is heard far and is like a bull, or a smack on an oil drum and then he lowers his head before releasing louder notes. Females are attracted to these leks within the subcanopy as they hear the sound.  Are Birds Mammals? 

Diet
For fruits the Bare-necked Umbrellabird typically eats palms, such as Lauraceae and Annonaceae as well as prey. this bird is able to capture large insects , such as katydids grasshoppers, Cockroaches (and some Orthopterans) and caterpillars. They may also consume small lizards or Frogs.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *