Cinnamon-vented Piha

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Quick Facts

  • Scientific Name: Lipaugus lanioides
  • Spanish Name: Piha ventricanela
  • Family: Cotingidae
  • Known Nicknames: Cinnamon-vented Piha
  • Average Length: 27–30 cm / 10.6–11.8 in
  • Average Weight: 80–100 g / 2.8–3.5 oz
  • Wingspan: N/A
  • Key Feature: Bright cinnamon-rufous undertail coverts contrasting with overall greyish plumage
  • Primary Diet: Primarily Frugivore
  • Range: Southeastern Brazil (Espírito Santo to Santa Catarina)
  • Habitat: Montane Atlantic Forest, humid subtropical forest
  • Social Structure: Solitary or in pairs
  • Nesting/Breeding: Open cup nest in tree fork
  • Conservation Status: Near Threatened (NT)
  • Population Trend: Decreasing

The Cinnamon-vented Piha (*Lipaugus lanioides*) is a master of disguise in the cloud forests of southeastern Brazil, a plump, thrush-sized bird whose muted beauty lies in subtle details. Its general appearance is a study in soft grays and browns, with a paler throat and breast, but its most distinctive feature is the namesake patch of rich, warm cinnamon on the undertail coverts—a flash of color revealed only in flight or when the bird shifts position. Unique among its piha relatives, this species is a skilled vocal mimic, often incorporating the calls of other forest birds into its own haunting, descending whistle. A special feature is its unusual nesting behavior: instead of building a cup nest, it constructs a flimsy, shallow platform of twigs on a horizontal branch, a trait it shares with few other cotingas, making it a shy but fascinating resident of the high-altitude Atlantic Forest.

Fun Facts

Despite its name, the Cinnamon-vented Piha doesn’t actually have a cinnamon-colored vent in all lighting; the rust-orange patch under its tail is often hidden until it flares its feathers during its bizarre, frog-like territorial call. This bird is a master of camouflage, blending into the canopy of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest with its dull gray body, but it gives away its presence with a loud, descending whistle that sounds more like a squeaky toy than a songbird. It has a quirky habit of “sunning”—spreading its wings and tail on exposed branches to warm up, a behavior rarely seen in tropical species. Also, unlike most pihas, which are solitary, this one occasionally joins mixed-species flocks, acting as a silent, skulking follower rather than a leader.

Habitats & Distribution

The Cinnamon-vented Piha is endemic to the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil, ranging from southern Bahia and Minas Gerais south through Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo to northeastern Paraná. It inhabits the humid montane and submontane forests of this biome, primarily occurring at elevations between 600 and 1,800 meters. It is most frequently found in the dense, shaded understory and mid-levels of primary and mature secondary forests, often near streams or in areas with a high density of bamboo. It tends to avoid heavily degraded or fragmented habitats, though it may persist in selectively logged areas with sufficient canopy cover.

Behaviours & Reproduction

The Cinnamon-vented Piha is a generally solitary or loosely social bird, often seen alone or in small, quiet groups foraging for fruit in the forest canopy. Their mating system is likely polygynous or lekking, as males gather in dispersed traditional display areas where they produce loud, melancholic whistles and calls to attract females, though detailed lekking behavior is not well-documented for this species. Females alone build a shallow cup nest of twigs and rootlets in a tree fork, incubate the single or two-egg clutch, and care for the young without male assistance. A unique reproductive strategy is their extremely low nesting success rate, often attributed to high rates of nest predation in their fragmented Atlantic Forest habitat, which may necessitate repeated breeding attempts throughout the season.

Diet

The Cinnamon-vented Piha is primarily frugivorous, with its diet consisting almost entirely of a wide variety of forest fruits, berries, and small palm nuts, which it plucks directly from branches while perched or during short, sallying flights. An interesting aspect of its feeding behavior is its role as a key seed disperser in the Atlantic Forest, as it swallows fruits whole and later regurgitates or excretes the seeds intact, often far from the parent tree. Unlike some other pihas, it rarely supplements its diet with insects or other animal matter, making it one of the more strictly fruit-dependent members of its genus. Additionally, it has been observed to frequently gather at fruiting trees in small, loose flocks, sometimes joining mixed-species foraging groups to exploit abundant food sources.

Colors

The Cinnamon-vented Piha is predominantly a uniform, dull grayish-olive above and paler gray below, with its most distinctive feature being a rich cinnamon-rufous patch on the vent and undertail coverts. It lacks bold patterns or markings, and its plain, drab coloration provides excellent camouflage among the shaded understory and branches of its Atlantic Forest habitat.

Distribution Map

Places linked to this species. A sighting is never guaranteed.