About Perissocephalus tricolor (Statius Muller, 1776)
The capuchinbird (Perissocephalus tricolor) is a large, thick-set suboscine passerine bird with a relatively heavy bill. Adult capuchinbirds weigh between 340 and 420 grams (12 and 15 oz) and are typically around 40 centimetres (16 in) long. This makes it the largest suboscine passerine, excluding the Amazonian umbrellabird and long-wattled umbrellabird; on average, female capuchinbirds are larger than any female umbrellabird.
The capuchinbird's overall plumage is a rich brown color, which approaches orange on the belly and undertail coverts. Its flight feathers (remiges) and short tail are black. The species' most distinctive feature is its bare, nearly vulture-like head covered in dull blue skin. Juvenile capuchinbirds resemble adults, except they have some downy feathers on their heads.
In terms of ecology, capuchinbirds gather in leks to sing. Their song is very unusual and hard to describe accurately, though some have compared it to the distant sound of a chainsaw, or to the mooing of a young cow — this second comparison is the origin of the species' alternative name, calfbird. The capuchinbird's nest is small and rather sparsely built, and it is usually located very close to the lek where the birds gather. Capuchinbirds eat mainly fruits and insects.
