Red-ruffed Fruitcrow

It has a relatively heavy pale bluish bill, and the plumage is primarily black, but with a dull brown to bright orange-crimson patch on the throat depending on the subspecies, (thereby superficially resembling the smaller male purple-throated fruitcrow). Some subspecies have brown underparts. Males gather in loose leks where they call to attract the smaller, but otherwise similar, females.

Subspecies description. Pyroderus scutatus scutatus is the nominated subspecies with a glossy black back with some iridescence. A crimson patch is present covering the throat while some coverts are a dull chestnut. The feet are wholly black and the bill is a light grey. Females are almost identical, but slightly smaller and with a slightly duller ruff. Pyroderus scutatus orenocensis is more dull instead of the glossy black seen in P. s. scutatus. It also has a fully chestnut breast. Pyroderus scutatus granadensis has the same appearance as P. s. scutatus, but is significantly smaller with length 14 in, wing 8.5 in and tail 5 in. Pyroderus scutatus masoni is black above and a dull dark brown/chestnut below that turns mottled to black as it approaches the undertail coverts. The chin and chest are a crimson with a black strip dividing the bright chest from the chestnut belly. Pyroderus scutatus occidentalis appears very similar to P. s. …

Its distribution is highly disjunct, with population associated to northeastern Venezuela and Guyana, the east Andean slopes in Peru, Andean slopes in north-western Ecuador, Colombia and western Venezuela, the Venezuelan Coastal Range and the Atlantic Forest in south-eastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay and far north-eastern Argentina. It is found in humid forest, especially in highlands, but are also found in forest borders, Amazon lowlands, and in slightly drier forest. The largest population of P. s. scutatus can be found in the Atlantic Forest in SE Brazil. The high population is speculated due to a lack of competition in the area Other P. s. scutatus are found in east Paraguay and northeast Argentina in Misiones. Pyroderus scutatus orenocensis is only found in northeast Bolívar, a state in east Venezuela. Pyroderus scutatus granadensis lives in the Andes in Colombia and Venezuela. Specifically, it is found in the east Andes, eastern slope of the central Andes in Colombia, Serranía de Perijá, east of Distrito Federal along the mountains, and the Andes in Venezuela. Pyroderus scutatus masoni is located in the Andes of northern and central Peru. …

Pyroderus scutatus are omnivores, feeding on fruit, insects, and lizards with fruit making up the majority of the adults diet. Pyroderus scutatus granadensis feeding patterns of the nestlings change with age. When the nestlings first start eating the parents will bring them mainly insects (66.7%) and lizards (25%) with fruit only making up about 8.3%. Only in the late stages of the nestling period does the diet change to mainly fruit (82.4%) with insects making up the minority (17.6%).