The Andean Cock-of-the-Rock is an astonishing bird. The way its beak hides behind brilliant orange-red feathers makes it look more like a made-up being from a surrealist painting than a creature of Planet Earth. I love the way its gaping eyeball peeks out from its bright coat. It's simutaneously adorable and strange looking.
I want to pet its fluffy little head!
"The male Andean Cock-of-the-rock is an unmistakable sight, with brilliant red-orange plumage, black-and-white wings, and a large fan-like crest that almost completely obscures its bill. Known as tunki in Quechua, this cotinga is the national bird of Peru and is related to other distinctive tropical fruit-eaters such as the Banded Cotinga, Long-wattled Umbrellabird, and Bearded Bellbird."
