Gallito de las Rocas, the national bird of Peru

The Tunqui (Quechua name) or Cock of the Rocks It is the national bird of Peru. It is undoubtedly one of the wild birds possessing one of the most exotic plumages in the world. Scientists have given it the Latin name of Rupicola Peruviana, which means Bird of the Rocks Peruana or Peru. Its habitat is found in Peru, between 1 and 400 meters above sea level in the humid and dense forests of the eastern Andean slopes.

It is not found anywhere in the high jungle. It prefers the areas of the humid and closed forests, generally near streams and with rocky walls or cliffs; there it can be very common. Generally is a silent bird, as it only makes sounds when it is in heat, when it is frightened or is far from its territory.

It is a polygamous species, which spends most of the day hidden in the trees during the breeding season, where the males perform dances and pirouettes to attract females. These nuptial dances are a true spectacle, since you can see a group of several males dancing while the females perched on the branches contemplate them, and then make their choice, since it is the females who choose which male to mate with.

They are exclusively frugivorous, except for the pigeons, which are fed with insects in their first weeks of life. They nest between rocky walls, very close to the water, where they build nests with mosses and plant materials. During incubation, females are almost impossible to detect due to the color of their plumage, which blends in with the nest environment.