Handsome fruiteater
The handsome fruiteater is a species of bird in the family Cotingidae, the cotingas. It is endemic to Venezuela.
Taxonomy and systematics
The handsome fruiteater was first described by the ornithologist Gustav Hartlaub in 1848 with the binomial name Ampelis formosa. The type specimen was originally said to have come from Venezuela, and later was determined to have likely came from Caracas. In 1925 it was placed in the genus Euchlornis as E. formosa before ending up in the genus Pipreola as P. formosa.The handsome fruiteater has three subspecies, the nominate P. f. formosa, P. f. rubidior, and P. f. pariae.
Description
The handsome fruiteater is long and weighs. The sexes have very different plumage. Adult males of the nominate subspecies have a glossy bluish black head including the chin and throat. Their nape, upperparts, and tail are bright grass green. Their wings are mostly bright grass green with blackish outer webs on the flight feathers and white tips on the tertials. Their upper breast has a deep orange triangular patch in otherwise mostly bright yellow underparts. Their lower flanks are mottled with bright green and their undertail coverts tinged bright greenish. Adult nominate females have a green to greenish yellow forehead and forecrown and a yellowish green throat on an otherwise green to greenish yellow head. Their upperparts are bright grass green. Their tail is mostly bright grass green with blackish or dusky outer feathers. Their wings' primaries and primary coverts are dusky to blackish with green outer webs and their innermost tertials have rounded or crescent-shaped white tips. Their wings are otherwise bright grass green. Their upper breast has an orange-yellow crescent. Their lower breast is green, their belly and flanks yellow barred with green, and their undertail coverts yellowish. Juveniles of both sexes are overall green. Adults have a brownish yellow iris, surrounded in males by bare black skin and in females by grayish green skin. Juveniles have a darker and duller iris. Adults have a stout curved bill; males' are bright orange or orange-yellow and females' brownish yellow to dull yellow. Juvenile males' bills have a dusky wash and females' are overall dusky. Males usually have brownish legs and feet with a yellow or olive tinge. Females' legs and feet are dark slaty gray.Adults of subspecies P. f. rubidior have orange-yellow eyes. Males otherwise resemble the nominate. Females have a yellow throat with thin dark green barring and a reddish crescent on the breast. Adult males of subspecies P. f. pariae have orange eyes, adult females yellow eyes, and juveniles brown to orange eyes. Adult males otherwise resemble the nominate; juveniles have an orange throat patch. Adult females have a yellow throat with thin green bars and a scarlet breast patch.