Cock of the Rocks (Gallito de las Rocas)

Biography.- The Rooster of the rocks is considered the national bird of Peru.
Popular also by names such as: Gallito de las Sierras, Gallo de la Peña Andino,
Tunqui, gallito de monte. Its Latin name Rupicola peruvianus means bird of the
Peruvian or Peruvian rocks.

Geographical distribution.- They are distributed from Venezuela to Bolivia,

through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia in the humid and dense forests of
the eastern Andean slopes.In Peru it is located in protected areas such as the
national parks of Río Abiseo, in San Martín; Yanachaga-Chemillén, in Pasco;
Tingo María, in Huánuco; and Manu, in Cusco-Madre de Dios. Also in
protection forests such as Alto Mayo, in San Martín; San Matías-San Carlos, in
Pasco; and Pui-Pui, in Junín. Also, in the forests of San Ignacio, in the Cutervo
National Park, in the historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu and other similar
territories, along the eastern slope of the Andes.

Habitat.- Choose some areas of the humid and enclosed forests, usually near
streams and with stony walls or cliffs. Inhabits the jungles in the mountains
between 900 and 2400 meters above sea level.

Features.- It is medium in size, about 35 centimeters. The male is a beautiful

intense orange-red color, orange eyes, yellow legs and beak, with black wings
and tails. The female is dark reddish brown. They live in groups of 10 to 20
individuals. The roosters of the rocks lay their eggs in the crevices of the cliffs.
It is very rare to find a lonely cock, since they always live in small communities.
They remain hidden most of the day and only leave the forest at certain times. It
has been seen on the banks of rivers bathing and drinking water.

Feeding.- The Peruvian rock rooster feeds on a large number of wild fruits,
which grow in large quantities in the mountain forest of the eastern Andean
slopes.The roosters of the rocks are frugivorous (they feed on fruits). This is a
consequence of the fact that between 50% and 80% of the trees in the Amazon
rainforest produce fruits as a propagation mechanism. In addition to its proven
abundance, additional factors such as the availability and diversity of wild fruits
will determine that it is possible to find fruits at any season or time of the year,
although the quality of the food is not the same throughout the year.