Peru is a country with large biodiversity, being first, for example, in butterflies and birds (more than 1816 species of this last category), what makes the country a paradise for people who loves these animals and bird watching. The national representatives of this large zoologist group is the Cocky of the Rocks, Rupicole Peruvian, bird of beautiful orange colour with wings and tail in black and legs and peak in yellow when a male. Due to sexual dimorphism the female is reddish brown that serves to be unnoticed in the tick vegetation of the jungle and protect in this way the eggs and the pigeons.

In the front and the peak it has an erected plume that is smallest in the female. Its favourite areas are the high jungle or Rupa Rupa, that is placed in the east side of the Andes.

Its quecchua name is Tunqui, medium sized bird in Peru that is protected by statutes. However there is some people that does not follow these statutes and hunt them to dissect and sell it in the clandestine markets, what makes the population decrease together with the indiscriminate felling. Maintaining it in captivity is impossible mainly due to the unkowledge of its feeding.

They can be found in National Reserves and other protected parks in the country as Madre de Dios, San Martín, Cusco, Junín or Huánuco, and around Machu Picchu.

The females make their nest in the rocks near water sources and generally they put two eggs green coloured that they care without the male help.

Its feeding in adult phase is based on fruits, while the pigeons eat insects. They are fundamental in the dispersion of the seeds they swallow and evacuate fully being suitable for its germination. At the same time they help to regulate the insects population.

Taxonomy

Class: Birds

Ordre: Passerin

Family: Rupicolidae

Specie: Rupicola peruviana