Bird of the Week: Cock-Of-The-Rock

With a name and face (if you can find it) like this, this blog writes itself.

Forget the preamble. We don’t have time for it. We have a banger of a bird on deck for this edition of Bird of the Week and wasting any words on some sort of cute intro is a damn fool’s errand. 

Folks, this week we’re talking about TWO birds: The Guianan cock-of-the-rock and the Andean cock-of-the-rock. Two cocks for the price of one. Ahhhhhhhh!

Andean cock-of-the-rock // Bill Bouton

Guianan cock-of-the-rock // Michael Hurben

If you’re not gasping, crying, mouth agape, and throwing up yet, I don’t know what to tell you.

Josh More

When I presented this bird to Jack as a contender for Bird of the Week, he replied simply “oh my god,” and then “cock-of-the-rock” and then “people in olden times were wilding.” He’s exactly right and he’s not alone in that spiritual and mental journey.

Screenshot via Google

Let’s get this out of the way: The Guianan cock-of-the-rock and the Andean cock-of-the-rock are a pair of species of the genus Rupicola. That name comes from the Latin words rupes "rock" or "cliff," and cola "inhabiting,” which reflect their tendency to build nests on rock walls and ledges, and not for being a rooster who loves rock and roll (though those half-moon, fan-like crests are punk as hell) or…anything else you might be imagining. French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson came up with the moniker but he’s been dead for over 200 years so we can’t ask him to comment further. 

I’ve paired the two members of this species together in part because I couldn’t decide which bird I preferred, and because they are quite similar except for their coloring. I should also note that the Andean cock-of-the-rock holds the esteemed title of national bird of Peru (hello to my fellow Paddington heads, our man probably LOVES this bird). Despite their similarities, these two species reside in different areas of South America, which I’ve decided is a cool parallel universe/multiverse thing for them.

Okay now that all of that is out of the way, let’s get something else out of the way: LOOK AT THIS BIRD.

Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren

As Jack beautifully put it, “it barely has a face???” and is “giving these vibes”:

He’s right! And he went on: “it's like they put a weird fish on a bird” to which I said, “a clown fish with feathers!” to which he said “finding nemo…..’s weird-ass cousin.” No lies detected!

Devin Morris

Okay I’m done screaming now and can get to the more measured portion of the blog. (Collective exhale.) The cock-of-the-rock is a native of South America and if you know anything about birds, you’ve probably already surmised that the stunning specimens seen above are the males, who need the excessive coloring and plumage to showboat around trying to get the attention of potential mates. The females are still insanely cool-looking, but their colors are admittedly more drab.

The men spend a good amount of their time at a communal lek doing their little aggressive dances and shouting at each other with wild vocalizations in a complicated courting ritual. If these bros weren’t already insufferable enough, they’re also polygamous and don’t help with child-rearing. Real Mojo Dojo Casa House vibes with these lads. 

Let’s be honest though, I’m absolutely riveted:

“The large, orange birds glare at each other, hunched over with their heads low. One makes the raucous call first—it sounds something like a cross between a rooster’s crow and a pig’s grunt—and another joins in. The boisterous confrontation that follows is a frenzied flurry of wing-flapping, head bobbing, bouncing, bowing, and hopping, and it intensifies as an inquisitive brown female approaches. From time to time, the birds stop. Then they launch into another round.”

It should also be noted that the females alert the males that they’ve been selected by pecking them on the back, and otherwise seem to want to be left alone to build their home with mud and twigs, and live in purposeful isolation. I respect it. 

I know I’ve waxed poetic before about how lovely it is to read rhapsodic bird descriptions online, but come on: “A large, chunky cotinga, always preceded by its reputation. Exquisite adult male is impossible to mistake for anything else.” Literally swap a few of those words out and you have your next Valentine’s Day card. 

Also not much of a surprise: these birds live in tropical rainforests, and feeds on fruits (they’re highly valuable seed spreaders!), insects, and small reptiles. And as if the photos weren’t breathtaking enough, these birds are fully mesmerizing in motion. They’re little aliens! 

Total goofballs! The cock-of-the-rock species aren’t in any danger of extinction at the moment, but I still feel the need to say that we must protect them at all costs.

Wacky but majestic. Strange but beautiful. Freaky but cuddly. Cockin’ but also rockin’. A perfect, multifaceted creature. If I ever encounter one in the flesh, I will be screaming my head off for several minutes and I hope it does the same.

Have any birds knocked your dang socks off recently? Tell us about it! Our phone lines are always open at hello@discourseblog.com. And remember, you can also browse our complete Bird of the Week list anytime.