The bare-necked umbrellabird is a species of bird in the family Cotingidae. It is found in the Talamancan montane forests of Costa Rica and Panama. Bare-necked umbrellabirds live only in forests and their diet consists mainly of fruits.
Region
Talamanca Mountains, southern Central America
Typical Environment
Occurs in humid premontane to montane rainforests and cloud forests of Costa Rica and western Panama. It primarily uses mature forest but will move along ridges, river corridors, and occasionally into tall secondary growth when fruiting trees are abundant. The species spends most time in the subcanopy to canopy, tracking seasonal fruit availability. Local movements follow altitudinal gradients between breeding and non-breeding seasons. Forest continuity is crucial for its movements and lek sites.
Altitude Range
300–2000 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Males display at leks, raising their umbrella-like crest and exposing a vivid bare throat patch while giving deep booming calls. The species is an important seed disperser for montane forest trees, especially laurels and figs. It is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation in the Talamanca range, and by climate-driven shifts in cloud-forest zones.
Female from La Selva Biological Station, Heredia, Costa Rica.
Temperament
shy and secretive
Flight Pattern
strong but heavy flier with deliberate wingbeats between canopy trees
Social Behavior
Generally solitary or in small loose groups at fruiting trees. Males gather at traditional leks where they display with crest-raising, body postures, and booming calls to attract females. Nests are placed singly on sturdy branches, with the female likely responsible for most nesting duties. Territoriality is moderate around lek sites and favored fruiting trees.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Deep, low-frequency booming notes that carry through the forest, often rendered as a resonant whoom or ooom. Displays may include softer grunts and mechanical-sounding clicks. Vocalizations are most frequent at dawn around leks.
Plumage
Mostly glossy black with a shaggy, umbrella-like crest that droops over the bill; plumage appears smooth on body with longer, loose crest feathers.
Diet
Feeds chiefly on large fruits from laurels, palms, and figs, swallowing them whole and later dispersing seeds. Supplements diet with large insects such as beetles and orthopterans, and occasionally small vertebrates. Foraging is methodical, moving between known fruiting trees and perches. Seasonal shifts in food drive altitudinal movements.
Preferred Environment
Primarily forages in the subcanopy and canopy of mature wet forests and cloud forests. Often visits isolated fruiting trees along ridges and forest edges, and sometimes tall secondary growth. Uses quiet perches to scan for fruiting crowns before short flights.
