The life history of the Long-wattled Umbrellabird Cephalopterus penduligerin the Andean foothills of north-west Ecuador: leks, behaviour, ecology and conservation

The rare and threatened Long-wattled Umbrellabird Cephalopterus penduliger inhabits the canopy and mid-storey level of humid to wet foothill and monta ne forests (150-1,800 m) of the Andean slopes of south-west Colombia and we stern Ecuador. Here we report on male activity pattern and display behaviou r observed at one of two leks recently discovered in the vicinity of Playa de Ore, Rio Santiago, Esmeraldas Province, north-west Ecuador. Courtship be haviour of C, penduliger is compared with the Central American and Amazonia n congeners (Bare-necked Umbrellabird C. glabricollis and Amazonian Umbrell abird C. ornatus). The lek of C. penduliger was active during the whole stu dy period (February 1997 to January 1998), but both lek structure and dayti me activity pattern changed markedly within the observation period.