Umbrellabird | Miles To The Wild

The Long-wattled Umbrellabird (Cephalopterus penduliger) is a passerine bird belonging to the family Cotingidae, endemic to the western slopes of Chocó in Colombia and Ecuador. The male is about 51 cm (20 in) long and is a black bird with a large casque-shaped crest on the head and a long, feather-covered wattle on the breast. The loud call is only heard in the breeding season. The female is considerably smaller, with a smaller crest and wattle.

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They have a limited range in Ecuador and Colombia. Probably the easiest place to see them is the Umbrellabird Lodge at Jocotoco’s Buenaventura Reserve which has a lek a short walk from the lodge.

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LEARN MORE ABOUT LONG-WATTLED UMBRELLABIRDS

Wikipedia

Birdlife

American Bird Conservancy

VIDEOS

This could be the same bird we saw only he’s a lot more active, dancing around and fluffing up his wattle. It was filmed in February and we were there in April.

Another clip which could be the same bird or a different one. He’s sexy and he knows it!

Although the main draw to this area of Ecuador is the El Oro Parakeet, don’t forget that the grounds of the Umbrellabird Lodge are also very birdy and many wonderful species can be seen just from the deck and on a short but steep walk to the lek of the Long-wattled Umbrellabird.

Depending on the time of year, you may want to get up early to see the Umbrellabirds at the lek or wait a bit and see them in the trees. The trail isn’t far from the lodge but the birds are difficult to find in the trees as they blend in and are quiet so best to go with a guide unless you have very keen eyesight.

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Chestnut-Mandibled Toucan

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Brown Violetear Hummingbird IMG_2451a IMG_2455a

From the balcony, we saw several flocks of Bronze-winged Parrots and Red-masked Parakeets fly past. IMG_2301a IMG_2303a IMG_2311a IMG_2330a IMG_2347a

The hummingbird feeders are constantly busy with many beautiful species! The guide gave me the list of the ones we saw. Brown Violetear, White-necked Jacobin, Andean Emerald, Green-crowned Brilliant, Violet-bellied Hummingbird, Green Thorntail, Bananaquit, Blue & Grey Tanager IMG_2343a IMG_2346a IMG_2389a IMG_2406a