Pompadour cotinga

The first documentation of the pompadour cotinga was in the 1764 auction catalogue of Dutch natural history collector Adriaan Vroeg which listed many species of birds and mammal specimen which were to be sold in glass cases.[2] The original text of this catalogue was written in Latin and used the protonym Turdus puniceus to describe the species.[3] Birds of the family Cotingidae tend to share certain characteristics such as hooked beaks, strong sexual dimorphism, and mating displays performed by the males.[4] The most recent phylogeny created in 2014 examined the family using genetic analyses of both nuclear and mitochondrial genes, and compared the results to the synapomorphies among birds of certain clades.[5] The breeding behavior and sexual dimorphism of certain species did not seem to be connected to the phylogenetic relationships that had been created from the genetic data. However, certain characteristics such as vocal activity did correlate with shared anatomical morphologies among certain clades and were used to support the genetic data.  For instance, members of Xipholena punicea tend to be quieter than other members of Cotingidae and that behavior is shared with their sister taxa Carpodectes. This low vocal activity is likely reflected in the syrinx morphology of both species of birds.[5] In addition to this characteristic, these genera share physical similarities such as the bright white wings which are displayed as the male birds fly through the tree tops.[6]

Individuals of the Xipholena punicea are sexually dimorphic, with males displaying bright, complex colorization and females appearing more pale and grey. Males of this species have yellow eyes, stark white primary coverts with black wing tips, and a glossy, wine-red head and body.[6] The distinguished burgundy color of the male individuals was previously thought to be a combination of "blue structural color and red carotenoid," but recent experimentation has shown that this species of Cotingidae does not utilize structural coloration.[7] This distinct colorization consists of pigments from eight different carotenoids, six of which are unique to the Xipholena punicea species itself.[8] These six pigments were found to be "ring-substituted, methoxy carotenoids" and were likely formed through chemical reactions of other dietary carotenoids.[7] These species-specific carotenoids are significant in the study of Xipholena punicea because other species of birds are not known to use the same pathways for carotenoid construction that are used by the pompadour cotinga. Additionally, the complexity of the creation of these pigments allows for an added diversity in the carotenoid products themselves and further distinguishes X. punicea from other members of the genus.[9]

Both male and female pompadour cotinga have a "short beak and wide gape". This trait is shared by other members of the family Cotingidae and is indicative of a frugivorous diet.[6] Eggs of this species are not well documented, but have been described as bluish-grey and blotched. In addition, chicks undergo a change from white to a blotched-grey color, possibly serving as a form of camouflage in the nest.[8]

Members of the X. punicea occupy the canopy layer of rainforests across South America, including regions in Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, and the Guianas.[10] In the Northern Peruvian Amazon, they live in the varillal (white sand forest) regions and forage in groups in the Caraipa tereticaulis trees along the Nanay River.[11] Pompadour cotingas generally live in areas of thick vegetation and white, sandy soil which has been darkened and acidified by the decomposition of vegetative material.  There have also been rare sightings of possible vagrants in Bolivia[12] and eastern Ecuador outside of their established range.[11]

The most recent information on the conservation status of the Xipholena punicea is from an evaluation conducted in August 2018 and has placed the species as of least concern.[14] However, the destruction of the Amazon rainforest has interfered with the habitat of these birds and the species is “suspected to lose 11.5-12.6% of suitable habitat… over three generations,” with the population decreasing in suit.[14]  Luckily, there is a protection of land and water across the entirety of the habitat but the species itself is not included in any international legislation enforcing protection and there is no plan in place to deal with species recovery in the event of disaster.¹³

Research involving the pompadour cotinga has been difficult because it lives high in the rainforest and is normally concealed from view. In recent years, there has been advocation for improved methods of data collection in the rainforest with one researcher, Bruno Walther, proposing the use of cranes in the field to increase access to the canopy level. Despite the hindrance to observational studies, there is a benefit to living in the canopy.  Canopy birds were found to be present in disturbed habitats at higher rates than species who occupy lower levels of the forest. This is likely due to their unique ability to leave regions of disaster and low resources more easily than other species.[15]

• Snow, D.W. (1971). "Display of the Pompadour Cotinga Xipholena punicea." Ibis 113(1):102-104