<trp-post-container data-trp-post-id='360488'>Hooded Berryeater

Open Bird Bucket List ↗

En bref

Endémique
  • Scientific Name: Carpornis cucullata
  • Spanish Name: Comebayas capuchón
  • Famille : Cotingidae
  • Known Nicknames: Hooded Berryeater
  • Average Length: 20–22 cm / 7.9–8.7 in
  • Average Weight: 60–80 g / 2.1–2.8 oz
  • Envergure : N/A
  • Key Feature: Distinctive black hood contrasting with olive-green body and yellow underparts
  • Régime alimentaire principal : Principalement frugivore
  • Range: Southeastern Brazil (Espírito Santo to Santa Catarina)
  • Habitat: Lowland and montane Atlantic Forest understory
  • Structure sociale : Solitaires ou en couples
  • Nesting/Breeding: Open cup nest in tree fork
  • Statut de conservation : Quasi menacé (NT)
  • Évolution démographique : En baisse

The Hooded Berryeater (*Carpornis cucullata*) is a striking, plump bird endemic to the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil, renowned for its vivid, almost surreal coloration. The male boasts a brilliant crimson hood and throat that starkly contrasts with a jet-black face mask, white nape, and olive-green body, while the female is more subdued with a greenish head. A uniquely specialized frugivore, it possesses an exceptionally wide, soft-based bill adapted for swallowing large fruits whole, and its loud, resounding call—a series of sharp "wok" notes—echoes through the forest canopy. As a key seed disperser for threatened tree species, this elusive bird is both a visual gem and a vital ecological linchpin, though habitat loss has made it a near-threatened symbol of conservation urgency.

Faits amusants

Despite its name, the Hooded Berryeater rarely eats berries; its diet is surprisingly dominated by large, fleshy fruits like figs and palm nuts, which it swallows whole and later regurgitates the seeds, making it a crucial seed disperser for the Atlantic Forest. It has a bizarre, low-pitched, far-carrying call that sounds like a mournful whistle or a metallic "clink," often delivered from a high, exposed perch at dawn and dusk. During the breeding season, males perform a quirky, lumbering display flight, flapping slowly with exaggerated, stiff wingbeats while dangling their legs, as if struggling to stay aloft.

Habitats et répartition

The Hooded Berryeater is endemic to a relatively small area of the Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil. Its habitat consists primarily of humid, montane primary forests and mature secondary growth, typically occurring at elevations between 500 and 1,800 meters. This species is especially associated with dense, shaded understory and areas with abundant fruiting trees and epiphytes, often near streams or in steep, well-forested valleys. Geographically, its range is restricted to the coastal mountain ranges of the states of Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo, with a few isolated records extending into southern Minas Gerais and possibly northeastern Paraná.

Comportements & Reproduction

The Hooded Berryeater is generally solitary or found in pairs, with a social structure centered on loose, non-territorial associations during foraging. Mating is monogamous for the breeding season, with courtship involving the male performing a series of short, fluttering flights and vocalizations from a prominent perch to attract a female. They build a shallow cup nest in a tree fork, and both parents share incubation duties for the single egg, a notably small clutch size for a cotinga. A unique reproductive strategy is the prolonged fledgling care period; after the chick leaves the nest, both parents continue to feed it for several weeks, likely to compensate for the high energy demands of a frugivorous diet and low nest productivity.

Alimentation

The Hooded Berryeater is a frugivorous bird, with its diet consisting almost exclusively of fruits and berries, particularly those from trees in the laurel family (Lauraceae) and palms. An interesting fact is that despite its name, it does not eat berries in the way humans might define them; instead, it consumes whole fruits, often swallowing them whole, which makes it a critical seed disperser for large-seeded Atlantic Forest trees. Another notable aspect is its specialized feeding behavior—it forages in the mid-to-upper canopy, often hanging upside down to reach fruit clusters, and will occasionally supplement its diet with small insects or arthropods, though this is rare and accidental.

Couleurs

The Hooded Berryeater has a vivid olive-green body and wings, with a striking black hood covering its head and throat, sharply contrasting with a bright yellow face and throat patch. Its underparts are pale yellow, streaked with olive, and the tail is dark with white tips. This bold head pattern provides disruptive coloration, breaking up its outline among dappled forest light, while the green back blends into foliage for camouflage.

Distribution Map

Places linked to this species. A sighting is never guaranteed.