White-tipped Plantcutter

About the White-tipped Plantcutter

The white-tipped plantcutter (Phytotoma rutila) is a species of bird in the family Cotingidae, the cotingas. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and as a vagrant to Brazil and Chile. For part of the twentieth century the genus Phytotoma was placed in its own family Phytotomidae but subsequent genetic testing proved that it belonged in its current Cotinga family. The white-tipped plantcutter shares genus Phytotoma with the Peruvian plantcutter (P. raimondii) and rufous-tailed plantcutter (P. rara). It and the Peruvian are sister species.

The white-tipped plantcutter has two subspecies, the nominate P. r. rutila (Vieillot, 1818) and P. r. angustirostris (d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837). The white-tipped plantcutter is 18 to 19.5 cm (7.1 to 7.7 in) long and weighs 30 to 57 g (1.1 to 2.0 oz). The sexes have different plumage. Adult males of the nominate subspecies have a rufous forehead, a dark gray crown and cheeks, and a short crest. The gray has sparse darker streaks. Their upperparts are also dark gray with sparse darker streaks. Their wings are dusky blackish with white tips on the coverts that show as two wing bars... Wikipedia →