Bird Guide

Blue Cotinga vs Spangled Cotinga

Blue Cotinga (Cotinga nattererii)

Blue Cotinga

Cotinga nattererii

Medium64 gForest

The blue cotinga is a plump, dove-like bird with a small head. It grows to a length of about 7 inches (18 cm). The male has glossy blue plumage and a black bib with a purple iridescent sheen on the throat and breast. There is a black ring round the eye, and the wings and tail are black with broad blue margins. On the belly there is a circular patch of purple. The female looks quite different; she is dark brown above, each feather having a pale margin which gives the bird a scaly appearance, and the underparts are pale brown with each feather having a buff margin.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Melissa McMasters from Memphis, TN, United States · CC BY 2.0
Spangled Cotinga (Cotinga cayana)

Spangled Cotinga

Cotinga cayana

Medium62 gForest

The species is sexually dimorphic with the male being a bright turquoise-blue with a large deep wine-red throat and black to the wings, tail and back. The female is overall dull brownish-gray with darker wings and faint mottling below.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K · CC BY 2.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Blue Cotinga and Spangled Cotinga.