Andean Cock-of-the-Rock

Peru · mountain birds · cloud forests · colorful

Lives in the clouds. The Andean cock-of-the-rock makes its home in the cool, misty cloud forests of South America's Andes Mountains, where it's so high up that clouds wrap around the trees.

Blazing orange plumage. The males have incredibly bright orange and black feathers that make them easy to spot against the green forest, while females are duller orange to blend in better.

National bird of Peru. This striking bird is so important to Peru that it was chosen as the country's official national bird, representing the beauty of the Andean region.

Strange loud calls. These birds make weird guttural sounds and loud calls to communicate with each other in their misty mountain habitat.

Has four subspecies. Scientists have identified four different subspecies of Andean cock-of-the-rock living in different parts of the Andes, each slightly different from the others.