Screaming piha

Screaming piha
Adult in Amazon rain forest, Ecuador
Song recorded in Tambopata Reserve, Madre de Dios Region, Peru
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cotingidae
Genus: Lipaugus
Species: L. vociferans
Binomial name
Lipaugus vociferans
(Wied, 1820)

The screaming piha (Lipaugus vociferans) is a species of passerine bird in the family Cotingidae. It is found in humid forests in the Amazon and tropical parts of the Mata Atlântica in South America. It is also adapting really well into human settlement areas like gardens, parks, etc. As it is widespread and generally fairly common, it is considered to be of least concern by BirdLife International.

While the plumage of both sexes is dull grey (wings and tail often somewhat browner), its voice is extraordinary, exceptionally loud and among the most commonly heard sounds in the Amazon. The sound is frequently used in movies, and also can be heard in the background of the popular game Angry Birds Rio.

The Cofan people of Ecuador call it the Pwe-pwe Yoh, which is a reference to its voice. Similarly, among the Ecuadorian Secoyas, the bird is known as the Kwow-kwee-yo. Males often gather in loose leks, where they sing to attract females.

References


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/23/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.