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Umbrellabirds
Long-wattled umbrellabird (Cephalopterus penduliger)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Cotingidae
Genus:	Cephalopterus E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1809
Type species
Cephalopterus ornatus E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1809
Species
Long-wattled umbrellabird Amazonian umbrellabird Bare-necked umbrellabird

Umbrellabird is the common name referring to three species of birds in the genus Cephalopterus. They are named for their distinct umbrella-like hoods.

The umbrellabird was described by Sir Alfred Wallace, a companion of Charles Darwin, in the 1800s while on an expedition to South America. Umbrellabirds face habitat loss, and two of the three species are at risk of extinction.

Basic Information

Umbrellabirds can be found in the rainforests of Central and South America. They are generally solitary, but known to co-inhabit areas with other birds including other umbrellabirds, and similar species such as woodpeckers.

With a total length of 35–50 cm (14–19.5 in), it is among the largest members of the cotinga family, and the male Amazonian umbrellabird is the largest passerine in South America. The typical weight of an umbrellabird ranges from 320 to 570 g (0.71 to 1.26 lb), with a wingspan reaching about 66 to 71 cm (26 to 28 in).

Umbrellabirds are thought to live for an average of 16 years in the wild.

Physiology

The umbrellabird is almost entirely black, and has a conspicuous crest on the top of its head, vaguely resembling an umbrella (hence its common name). This bird has strong legs, short feet, acute claws, broad wings, and a thick bill. All have an inflatable wattle on the neck, which serves to amplify their loud, booming calls. From this loud and deep voice, it has received its Indian name ueramimbé, meaning "piper-bird". It utters its call early in the morning and in the afternoon. This wattle may reach a length of 35 cm (14 in) in the long-wattled umbrellabird, but it is smaller in the two remaining species, and covered in bare, bright-red skin in the bare-necked umbrellabird. Umbrellabirds produce one of the deepest songs (less than 300 Hz) among passerines. The umbrellabird finds flying difficult because of its large size, but can indeed fly short distances, although it tends to be relatively slow and clunky in the air. So, it exhibits hopping between different branches with the help of its clawed toes. Females resemble males, but are noticeably smaller and have a reduced crest and wattle.

Behavior

The lifestyle of the umbrellabird is diurnal, which means that it searches for food during the day time and roosts at night. When sleeping, it resembles a pile of black feathers, with neither its feet nor head visible due to its wings and head crest. The umbrellabird feeds on fruits, large insects, and occasionally small vertebrates (e.g. lizards). As it feeds on seeds or ingests a seed while eating a fruit, it plays a role in its native ecosystem by distributing the seeds across the forest floor, which spreads the plants' range. These birds are also known as altitudinal migrants because of their ability to migrate up and down the mountains instead of typical north–south across the land.

The males gather in loose leks, where they call and extend their wattles to attract females. Breeding generally runs from March until early June. The flimsy nest is built entirely by the females, which incubate and raise the chicks without help from the males. The nest is made from moss, leaves, and twigs that are present inside the tree. The nest is made far from the ground so it can be well protected from predators of the eggs. The female lays a single egg, occasionally two, which is incubated for only a month before it hatches, with the chick then being fed by its mother before it leaves the nest a few months later.

Conservation status

Two of the three species, the long-wattled and bare-necked umbrellabirds, are threatened by habitat loss. Since the umbrellabird spends most of its time at the tops of trees, ground-dwelling predators pose little threat to this unique bird. Monkeys and snakes are their primary predators, along with large birds of prey such as hawks and eagles that are able to hunt from the air. Populations are decreasing in large part from human encroachment on their native lowland forests, generally for agriculture. Other reasons for their habitat loss include logging, banana and palm oil plantations, or being hunted for meat or the pet trade.

Other names

Other common names are bullbird, coracine ombrelle in French, Nacktkehl-Schirmvogel in German, and pájaro paraguas de cuello desnudo in Spanish.

Species

Image	Scientific name	Common name	Distribution	Conservation status
	Cephalopterus penduliger	Long-wattled umbrellabird	Southwestern part of Colombia to the province of El Oro in Ecuador	Vulnerable
	Cephalopterus ornatus	Amazonian umbrellabird	Amazon basin	Least-concern
	Cephalopterus glabricollis	Bare-necked umbrellabird	Costa Rica and Panama	Endangered

References

1. "Cotingidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
2. "Umbrellabird". AZ Animals. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
3. "Amazing Facts about Umbrellabirds | OneKindPlanet Animal Education". OneKindPlanet. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
4. ^ "Best 20 Umbrellabird Facts, Weight, Age, Classification". 21 July 2021. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
5. ^ "Long-wattled Umbrellabird - eBird". ebird.org. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
6. ^ "The Bizarre Umbrellabird". Not Your Average American. 2019-05-02. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
7. Mikula, P.; Valcu, M.; Brumm, H.; Bulla, M.; Forstmeier, W.; Petrusková, T.; Kempenaers, B. & Albrecht, T. (2021). "A global analysis of song frequency in passerines provides no support for the acoustic adaptation hypothesis but suggests a role for sexual selection". Ecology Letters. 24 (3): 477–486. Bibcode:2021EcolL..24..477M. doi:10.1111/ele.13662. PMID 33314573.
8. ^ "Umbrellabird | bird". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
9. ^ "Umbrellabirds | Beauty of Birds". www.beautyofbirds.com. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
10. ^ "Long-wattled Umbrellabird". American Bird Conservancy. Retrieved 2021-10-12.

• Fitzpatrick, J. W. (2004). Umbrellabirds (Cephalopterus). Pp. 101–103 in: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., & Christie, D. A. eds. (2004). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 9. Cotingas to Wagtails. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ISBN 84-87334-69-5
• "Umbrellabird." (Cephalopterus). Ed. Millie Bond. A-Z Animals, 1 Nov. 2008. Web. 26 Nov. 2015.

Further reading

• Snow, D.W. (1982). The Cotingas: Bellbirds, Umbrella birds and their allies. British Museum Press. ISBN 0-19-858511-X

v t e Genera of passerines and their extinct allies
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Clade: Psittacopasseres Order: Passeriformes
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Tyrannides Conopophagidae Cephalopterus Conopophaga Pittasoma Cotingidae Ampelioides Ampelion Carpodectes Carpornis Conioptilon Cotinga Doliornis Gymnoderus Haematoderus Lipaugus Querula Perissocephalus Phibalura Phoenicircus Phytotoma Pipreola Porphyrolaema Procnias Pyroderus Rupicola Snowornis Xipholena Zaratornis Formicariidae Chamaeza Formicarius Furnariidae Berlepschia †Pseudoseisuropsis Sclerurinae Geositta Sclerurus Dendrocolaptinae Dendrocolaptini Campylorhamphus Dendrexetastes Dendrocolaptes Dendroplex Drymornis Drymotoxeres Glyphorynchus Hylexetastes Lepidocolaptes Nasica Xiphocolaptes Xiphorhynchus Sittasomini Certhiasomus Dendrocincla Deconychura Sittasomus Furnariinae Xenops Pygarrhichini Microxenops Ochetorhynchus Pygarrhichas Furnariini Cinclodes Furnarius Geocerthia Limnornis Lochmias Phleocryptes Premnornis Pseudocolaptes Tarphonomus Upucerthia Philydorini Anabacerthia Anabazenops Ancistrops Automolus Cichlocolaptes Clibanornis Dendroma Heliobletus Megaxenops Philydor Syndactyla Thripadectes Synallaxini Acrobatornis Anumbius Aphrastura Asthenes Certhiaxis Coryphistera Cranioleuca Hellmayrea Leptasthenura Limnoctites Margarornis Mazaria Metopothrix Phacellodomus Premnoplex Pseudasthenes Pseudoseisura Roraimia Schoeniophylax Siptornis Spartonoica Sylviorthorhynchus Synallaxis Thripophaga Xenerpestes Grallariidae Cryptopezus Grallaria Grallaricula Hylopezus Myrmothera Melanopareiidae Melanopareia Pipridae Ceratopipra Chiroxiphia Chloropipo Corapipo Cryptopipo Heterocercus Ilicura Lepidothrix Machaeropterus Manacus Masius Neopelma Pipra Pseudopipra Tyranneutes Xenopipo Rhinocryptidae Acropternis Eleoscytalopus Eugralla Liosceles Merulaxis Myornis Psilorhamphus Pteroptochos Rhinocrypta Scelorchilus Scytalopus Teledromas Thamnophilidae Euchrepomidinae Euchrepomis Myrmornithinae Myrmornis Pygiptila Thamnistes Thamnophilinae Formicivorini Formicivora Myrmochanes Myrmotherula Terenura Microrhopiini Ammonastes Aprositornis Clytoctantes Epinecrophylla Microrhopias Myrmophylax Myrmorchilus Neoctantes Pithyini Cercomacra Cercomacroides Drymophila Gymnopithys Hypocnemis Oneillornis Phaenostictus Phlegopsis Pithys Rhegmatorhina Sciaphylax Willisornis Pyriglenini Akletos Ampelornis Gymnocichla Hafferia Hylophylax Hypocnemoides Myrmeciza Myrmelastes Myrmoborus Myrmoderus Percnostola Poliocrania Pyriglena Rhopornis Sclateria Sipia Thamnophilini Batara Biatas Cymbilaimus Dichrozona Dysithamnus Frederickena Herpsilochmus Hypoedaleus Isleria Mackenziaena Megastictus Radinopsyche Rhopias Sakesphoroides Sakesphorus Taraba Thamnomanes Thamnophilus Xenornis Tityridae Iodopleura Laniisoma Laniocera Myiobius Onychorhynchus Oxyruncus Pachyramphus Schiffornis Terenotriccus Tityra Xenopsaris Tyrannidae Agriornis Alectrurus Anairetes Aphanotriccus Arundinicola Atalotriccus Attila Calyptura Camptostoma Capsiempis Casiornis Cnemarchus Cnemotriccus Cnipodectes Colonia Colorhamphus Conopias Contopus Corythopis Culicivora Elaenia Empidonax Empidonomus Euscarthmus Fluvicola Griseotyrannus Gubernetes Guyramemua Hemitriccus Heteroxolmis Hirundinea Hymenops Inezia Knipolegus Lathrotriccus Legatus Lessonia Leptopogon Lophotriccus Machetornis Mecocerculus Megarynchus Mionectes Mitrephanes Muscigralla Muscipipra Muscisaxicola Myiarchus Myiodynastes Myiopagis Myiophobus Myiornis Myiotheretes Myiotriccus Myiozetetes Nengetus Neopipo Neoxolmis Nephelomyias Nesotriccus Ochthoeca Ochthornis Oncostoma Ornithion Phelpsia Philohydor Phyllomyias Phylloscartes Piprites Pitangus Platyrinchus Poecilotriccus Pogonotriccus Polystictus Pseudelaenia Pseudocolopteryx Pseudotriccus Pyrocephalus Pyrope Pyrrhomyias Ramphotrigon Rhynchocyclus Rhytipterna Satrapa Sayornis Serpophaga Silvicultrix Sirystes Stigmatura Sublegatus Suiriri Syrtidicola Tachuris Taeniotriccus Todirostrum Tolmomyias Tumbezia Tyrannopsis Tyrannulus Tyrannus Uromyias Xenotriccus Xolmis Zimmerius
Passeri †Resoviaornis Acanthizidae Acanthiza Acanthornis Aethomyias Aphelocephala Calamanthus Gerygone Hylacola Neosericornis Oreoscopus Origma Pachycare Pycnoptilus Pyrrholaemus Sericornis Smicrornis Atrichornithidae Atrichornis Callaeidae Callaeas †Heteralocha Philesturnus Climacteridae Climacteris Cormobates Cnemophilidae Cnemophilus Loboparadisea Dasyornithidae Dasyornis Maluridae Amytornithinae Amytornis Malurinae Malurini Chenorhamphus Clytomyias Malurus Sipodotus Stipiturini Stipiturus Melanocharitidae Melanocharis Oedistoma Rhamphocharis Toxorhamphus Meliphagidae Acanthagenys Acanthorhynchus Anthochaera Anthornis Ashbyia Bolemoreus Caligavis Certhionyx Cissomela Conopophila Entomyzon Epthianura Foulehaio Gavicalis Gliciphila Glycichaera Glycifohia Grantiella Guadalcanaria Gymnomyza Lichenostomus Lichmera Macgregoria Manorina Meliarchus Melidectes Melilestes Melionyx Meliphacator Meliphaga Melipotes Melithreptus Melitograis Microptilotis Myza Myzomela Nesoptilotis Oreornis Plectorhyncha Philemon Phylidonyris Ptiloprora Ptilotula Prosthemadera Purnella Pycnopygius Ramsayornis Stomiopera Stresemannia Sugomel Territornis Timeliopsis Trichodere Vosea Xanthotis Menuridae Menura Notiomystidae Notiomystis Orthonychidae Orthonyx †Palaeoscinidae Palaeoscinis Pardalotidae Pardalotus Pomatostomidae Garritornis Pomatostomus Ptilonorhynchidae Ailuroedus Amblyornis Archboldia Chlamydera Prionodura Ptilonorhynchus Scenopoeetes †Sericuloides Sericulus Corvides See Corvides Passerida See Passerida

• Cephalopterus
• Bird genera