Red-crested Cotinga

Red-crested Cotinga

Ampelion rubrocristatus

Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Chingaza National Natural Park

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

293 Verified sightings at Chingaza National Natural Park From 2019 to 2026
643 In all 4 parks
July Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Red-crested Cotinga

The red-crested cotinga (Ampelion rubrocristatus) is a species of bird in the family Cotingidae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. The red-crested cotinga is monotypic. It shares genus Ampelion with the chestnut-crested cotinga (A. rufaxilla). Early in the twentieth century some authors had placed both of them in genus Heliochera, which no longer exists.

The red-crested cotinga is 20.5 to 22 cm (8.1 to 8.7 in) long and weighs 47 to 80 g (1.7 to 2.8 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a dark gray head with a long chestnut-maroon crest which is usually held flat against the nape. Their body is gray and their wings and tail mostly a darker gray. Their upper- and undertail coverts, rump, and vent area have variable amounts of white streaking. The underside of their tail has a white band near the end. They have a deep red iris, a bill with an ivory-white or pale gray base and blackish gray tip, and black or dark gray legs and feet. Immatures are overall paler than adults due to pale fringes on their feathers.

The red-crested cotinga has a disjunct distribution. It is... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:35

Ecuador · 1998

© Mitch Lysinger · XC260981 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:05

Ecuador · 1992

© Niels Krabbe · XC248606 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Wing sound0:23

Bolivia · 2021

© Dante Buzzetti · XC683237 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Chingaza National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~20%
2 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
3 Podocarpus National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
4 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Quito 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Red-crested Cotinga in Chingaza National Natural Park?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Red-crested Cotinga sighting in Chingaza National Natural Park on a given day, based on 293 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 35th most-seen of the 258 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Red-crested Cotinga in Chingaza National Natural Park?

May–July and September–December

In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Red-crested Cotinga in Chingaza National Natural Park on a given day, against about 10% in February to April, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Red-crested Cotinga?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Red-crested Cotinga sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Chingaza National Natural Park the best place to see a Red-crested Cotinga?

Yes

Of the 4 parks where we can rate Red-crested Cotinga sightings, Chingaza National Natural Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Los Nevados National Natural Park (Colombia, about 10%) and Podocarpus National Park (Ecuador, under 5%).

Where does the Red-crested Cotinga sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Red-crested Cotinga is recorded against all the birds logged in Chingaza National Natural Park (293 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Chingaza National Natural Park