English            -            Swallow-tailed Cotinga

Portuguese    -            Tesourinha-da-mata

Latin                -            Phibalura flavirostris

You know you are onto a good thing when even the guides you are with get excited about finding a certain bird and that’s what happened when we came across the Swallow-tailed Cotinga on the way to a place called Macaé de Cima, 68 kms from REGUA. (Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu) Macaé de Cima is an excursion I did when I was staying a month at REGUA. We were travelling up a road in a REGUA van when we stopped on the roadside to see what birdlife was around. After seeing a few species and photographing them, we were about to take off, when one of the guides noticed the Swallow-tailed Cotinga on the other side of the road, sitting in a tree. That’s when the excitement started. The Swallow-tailed Cotinga was not a common species to see in this area. 

* The Swallow-tailed Cotinga has a length of about 24 cm and weighs about 59 gr.

* Generally silent bird. but can let off a high guttural whistle.

* It is found in the Atlantic forest in south-eastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay and Argentina.

* Its habitat includes Forest borders, partially wooded areas, open areas and gardens with trees.

* Its diet includes mainly fruits, especially various mistletoe species and insects. 

* Not much info regarding breeding. The female lays two white-blue eggs with vinaceous spots. Both parents are responsible for incubating and caring for the nestlings.

* The Swallow-tailed Cotinga is currently considered ”Near Threatened” on the IUCN red list. It is treated as Vulnerable in Argentina and in the Brazilian states of Espírito Santo and São Paulo. This species has a moderately small population which is suspected to be declining owing to habitat loss.