En bref

• Scientific Name: Phibalura flavirostris
• Spanish Name: Cotinga cola de golondrina
• Famille : Cotingidae
• Known Nicknames: Tesourinha, Swallow-tailed Cotinga
• Average Length: 21–22 cm / 8.3–8.7 in
• Average Weight: 40–50 g / 1.4–1.8 oz
• Envergure : N/A
• Key Feature: Deeply forked, swallow-like tail and bright yellow throat and belly
• Régime alimentaire principal : Principalement frugivore
• Range: Southeastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, and northeastern Argentina
• Habitat: Atlantic Forest canopy and edges, often near water
• Structure sociale : Solitaire ou en petits groupes
• Nesting/Breeding: Open cup nest on a horizontal tree branch
• Statut de conservation : Quasi menacé (NT)
• Évolution démographique : En baisse

The Swallow-tailed Cotinga (*Phibalura flavirostris*) is a dazzling, rare bird endemic to the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil, renowned for its spectacular, deeply forked tail that gives it a swallow-like silhouette in flight. The male is a striking mosaic of emerald green above, with a vivid yellow throat and chest, a bright yellow bill, and a unique patch of bare, bright red skin around the eye, all contrasting with a white belly and blackish wings. A special feature is its loud, metallic, whistled song, often heard before the bird is seen, and its unusual lekking behavior where males gather in display arenas, fanning their tails and calling to attract females. This elusive canopy-dweller is a flagship species for conservation, as its survival depends on preserving the remaining fragments of old-growth forest.

Faits amusants

The swallow-tailed cotinga is a master of aerial acrobatics, often sallying out from high perches to snatch insects mid-flight with an audible snap of its beak, a behavior more reminiscent of a flycatcher than its fruit-eating cotinga relatives. Its most peculiar adaptation is the male’s bizarre courtship display: he perches prominently, then suddenly launches into a vertical “sky-dance,” fluttering upward like a bat before plummeting back down with his tail fanned and wings buzzing, producing a mechanical whirring sound. Despite its vivid yellow and black plumage, this bird is notoriously hard to spot because it spends most of its time in the upper canopy of Atlantic Forest treetops, often sitting motionless for long periods. Another unique trait is its bill—pale yellowish with a distinctive black tip—which it uses to deftly pluck small fruits like mistletoe berries, a key part of its diet that also helps disperse the parasitic plant.

Habitats et répartition

The Swallow-tailed Cotinga inhabits humid montane and subtropical forests, typically found at elevations between 600 and 1,800 meters. It favors the canopy and edges of primary and mature secondary forests, often near clearings or rivers, and is also recorded in adjacent coffee plantations with tall trees. Its geographical range is restricted to a narrow strip of the Atlantic Forest biome in southeastern Brazil, extending from central Rio de Janeiro state through São Paulo, Paraná, and into northeastern Santa Catarina, with isolated records in extreme northeastern Argentina.

Comportements & Reproduction

The Swallow-tailed Cotinga is primarily solitary outside of the breeding season, but males gather in dispersed display arenas known as leks during the reproductive period. Within these leks, males perform elaborate aerial displays, swooping and calling from prominent perches to attract females, with dominant individuals typically occupying central positions. Females visit these leks to select a mate, after which they assume all nesting duties. A unique reproductive strategy involves the female building a shallow, cup-like nest made of rootlets and moss, often placed on a horizontal branch over water, which may reduce predation. She lays a single egg, incubates it alone, and provides all parental care, with no pair bond formed beyond copulation.

Alimentation

The Swallow-tailed Cotinga is primarily a frugivore, with its diet consisting almost entirely of small fruits, particularly berries from trees in the mistletoe family (Loranthaceae) and other canopy plants. An interesting fact about its feeding behavior is that it often plucks fruit while hovering briefly in front of a branch, a technique more typical of hummingbirds than cotingas. Additionally, it is known to occasionally supplement its diet with insects, such as beetles and caterpillars, which it catches in short, agile flights. This cotinga also plays a crucial ecological role as a seed disperser, as the undigested seeds from the fruits it consumes are excreted in different locations, helping to maintain forest diversity.

Couleurs

The male Swallow-tailed Cotinga is a striking bird with a primarily bright green body, a contrasting white throat and belly, and a distinctive yellow bill. Its most unique feature is its long, deeply forked black tail with white tips, while the female is duller, with brownish-olive upperparts, pale underparts streaked with dark brown, and a shorter tail, providing excellent camouflage in the forest canopy.

Distribution Map

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

Détails de l'attraction

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