About Pipreola jucunda P.L.Sclater, 1860
The orange-breasted fruiteater, scientifically named Pipreola jucunda P.L.Sclater, 1860, has distinct male and female plumage. Males have a glossy black head and throat, green upperparts, a bright orange breast, and a yellow belly with green mottling along the sides. Females have green upperparts and green-and-yellow streaked underparts, making them similar in appearance to female masked fruiteaters. Both sexes have yellow eyes, an orange bill, and greyish-green legs. This species reaches an adult length of about 18 centimetres (7 in). Its song is a high-pitched ascending "pseeeeeweet", similar to the song of the black-chested fruiteater.
This species is native to the foothills and slopes of the western Andes in South America. Its range extends from southwestern Colombia to southwestern Ecuador, and it occurs mainly at altitudes between 600 and 1,900 metres (2,000 and 6,200 ft) above sea level. It typically inhabits the understorey of dense, wet, mossy forests.
In terms of ecology, the orange-breasted fruiteater is occasionally observed in small flocks mixed with other species. It feeds mostly on fruit, eating it either while perched on a branch or while hovering clumsily. Cup-shaped nests of this species have been found about 5 metres (16 ft) above the ground, but little information is available about its breeding habits.
