Lovely Cotinga Cotinga amabilis
Male Lovely Cotinga, Pico Bonito, Honduras, March 2015 - click on image for a larger view Pico Bonito, Honduras
March 2015

The Lovely Cotinga is distributed along the Caribbean side of Central America from southern Mexico to the extreme north of Panama. See the distribution map at Birdlife International. It is found in the canopy of forest and woodland where it feeds mainly on small fruits but also on insects.

Male Lovely Cotinga, Pico Bonito, Honduras, March 2015 - click on image for a larger view I was told that the best time to see this rather secretive species is in the early spring when the male is trying to attract a female. After April they tend to be very difficult to see. The male lives up to its name while the female is quite distinctive.
Male Lovely Cotinga, Pico Bonito, Honduras, March 2015 - click on image for a larger view The bird in photos 4 and 5 looks similar to a female but is in fact an immature male. It is just possible to make out some blue feathers bursting through and photo 4 shows the beginning of a throat patch. Males are supposed to reach full adult plumage after a year. This bird was possibly born in about May or June of 2014.
Lovely Cotinga, Pico Bonito, Honduras, March 2015 - click on image for a larger view
Lovely Cotinga, Pico Bonito, Honduras, March 2015 - click on image for a larger view
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