The Umbrellabird
Umbrellas are useful tool in our society aren't they? Imagine combining a a Umbrella and
a bird..... It won't look quite like this:
It would look more like.... this :
Umbrella birds are large birds that inhabit central and south America. There are three species of Umbrellabird: the Long-Wattled Umbrellabird, the Amazonian Umbrellabird, and the Bare-Necked Umbrellabird. Each species of bird each has a similar crescent-like umbrella shape on their head ( the reason they are called umbrella birds.), But it's easy to differ on which species of umbrella bird you are looking at.
Long-Wattled Umbrellabird
The Long-wattled Umbrellabird is about 11 inches long, black, and its diet consists of insects, lizards, and fruit. The male has a large wattle hanging from its chest, made of feathers. It also has a crest that goes from the top of its head to the end of its beak. This looks like an umbrella, and that’s what gives the bird its unique name. When mating, the male inflates the wattle and spreads the crest on its head to get the attention of the female. They also have beaks similar to a raven, long and black with a curved tip. Long-wattled Umbrella birds are considered under threat because they only inhabit very few areas. Their predators are monkeys and snakes; they are also prey to large birds such as hawks and eagles. The biggest threat to the Long wattled Umbrellabird is humans. Humans clear their habitats generally for aquaculture. This bird migrates, but not to colder weather, it migrates to lower altitudes when it’s not mating season. The long-wattled umbrellabird generally lives for about 16 years in the wild.
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| Amazonian Umbrellabird |
Amazonian Umbrellabird
The Amazonian Umbrellabird is uncommon to rare in mountain forests of the east slope of the Andes at elevations ranging between 600-1650 m. The female Amazonian Umbrellabird is about 16 to 17 inches long, where the male is about 18 to 21 inches long. The male bird is black with a crest and inflatable wattle on the throat. They eat fruits, berries, and sometimes insects. These birds are very secretive and feast high in the trees. The amazonian umbrellabird is not considered threatened or endangered. You can tell the males apart from the females by the male’s ornate feathers on top of the head, while the female has a reduced crest which is sometimes flat. The female is also slightly smaller than the male. These birds also migrate to lower elevations. These birds typically live about 16 years as well.
Bare-Necked Umbrellabird
The Bare-necked umbrellabird is about 14 to 19 inches long. This bird is black, with a red crescent under its neck. This bird does not have a wattle like the other umbrellabirds. It does, however, have a crest on the top of its head. Bare-necked umbrella birds usually eat fruits or insects such as grasshoppers, caterpillars, and cockroaches. They sometimes eat small lizards or frogs as well. They have a special roaring sound that makes them sound tough. The bare-necked umbrellabird is considered a threatened species. This bird lives in the forests near Costa Rica and Panama. Bared-necked umbrellabirds migrate to lower elevations when they are not mating. The species usually migrate higher to breed between 800-2,000m, but one female umbrella bird can only lay one egg making keeping their population at a safe number even harder. Nests are built above ground often in a fork of a tree and made with roughly loose twigs and branches that the single egg could be seen from underneath. The bare-necked umbrella birds are considered vulnerable global numbers are estimated at fewer than 10,000 individuals species left with populations still declining.
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