This bird is the unofficial national bird of Peru. One of the highlights of my going to the Amazon jungle in Peru was to see this bird. It’s not often you see a bird so vividly orange in color. In 1979 I was a resident in zoological medicine at UC Davis, in CA. There used to be famous rest stop in Vacaville, CA along I-80 called the Nut Tree. They had a large fruit and nut store, bakery, gift store, and a very nice restaurant. In the restaurant they had a large aviary with unusual birds, including a Cock of the Rock which had been there for many years. Well, it got sick so they called the vet school. I took a group of students and we went to check it out. A crowd gathered around as I entered the aviary and netted the bird on the ground. I pulled it out and it promptly died in my hands. How embarrassing and distressing. They declined a necropsy and instead had the bird stuffed and put on display in the gift shop. I saw it there on several occasions and it always brought back sad memories.
- Created Timestamp06/26/2017 04:04:17
- CameraDMC-FZ300
- Aperture2.8
- Focal Length106.6
- Iso3200
- Shutter Speed1/30
- Orientation1
Funny how it is easier for me to remember those disasters in my career than it is the good things. Typically east of the Andes the Cock of the Rocks are orange and west of the Andes they are brilliant red. Not easy to photograph as you see most of them at a lek in early dawn light or late afternoon light.
I always enjoy your commentary as much as your pictures! Thanks for educating us about birds we’ve never seen.