The Andean Cock-of-the-rock – The Changer… ~ by a j mithra

The Andean Cock-of-the-rock is a medium sized bird, living in the Andes, from Venezuela South to Bolivia. It’s one of the most spectacular birds, with strikingly bright colours. Spotting this beautiful bird is not very common, though, as they’re extremely shy and don’t usually fly near humans.

Males displaying by ibirdcollection

Mature males spend much of their time in leks, which are communal courtship sites, where many males gather and practice their “mating dance”. This ritual consists of challenging a rival male for displaying their force, by flapping wings, jumping, running around, nodding and giving off a variety of squawking and grunting calls. When females visit the lek, these “mating dances” become even more intense, more loud and often turn into a display of bright colours and loud, strange sounds. After this, the female chooses the most impressive male to mate with. It is also notable, that due to defecation of seeds by the males, leks are often rich in vegetation.

While the females incubate the Andean Cock-of-the-rock males have gone back to the lek, in search of another female partner. Most of the males’ life revolves around activities in the lek, challenging rivals, practicing their “mating dances” and attracting females, while most of the females’ life concentrates upon nesting and incubating the eggs.

God expects the Church, His the bride, to just concentrate on expanding His kingdom..

His reason for choosing us is not to just warm the church benches, but, to go in search of His lost sheep…

But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (Matthew 10:6)

The Cock-of-the Rock is one of the world’s most spectacular birds. It’s fantastic plumage and colorful courtship display equal those of any bird of paradise. It is the national bird of Peru for it’s beautiful plumage, resembling a bird from the paradise. Being one of the most beautiful birds, the Andean Cock-of-the-rock is one of the nature’s wonders.

The Andean Cock-of-the-Rock is distributed in the Andes from Venezuela south to Bolivia, while the Guianan Cock-of-the Rock is found in the more ancient, and highly eroded mountains that lie east of the Andes and north of the Amazon River….

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai after forty days, His face shone radiantly…

These beautiful birds are found in highly eroded mountains…  Is that the reason they look so beautiful?

When we dwell on THE ROCK, we sure would turn beautiful like Him… Remember that He had created us in His image…

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. (Isaiah 60:1)

When the Cock-of-the-Rock eats fruit, it swallows many of the seeds whole and most of these are not damaged when they pass through its digestive system. Thus, many seeds remain capable of germinating when the Cock-of-the-Rock defecates or regurgitates them at considerable distances from the parent trees. In this way, the Cock-of-the-Rock plays an important role in dispersing seeds of many different species of forest trees. When the Cock-of-the-Rock eats fruit, it swallows many of the seeds whole and most of these are not damaged when they pass through its digestive system.

Since the adult male Cock-of-the-Rock concentrates his time and activities around the lek, and the adult female concentrates her time and activities around cliff nest sites where several females may build nests in close proximity to each other, seeds are deposited more frequently at leks and at nest sites. Once, seeds of 21 species of plants under the perches of males. All were believed to have been defecated or regurgitated by the males.

Likewise, collected droppings under a nest of the Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock in French Guiana, was found to have the seeds of 52 plant species. In an earlier study, collected droppings under 7 nests of the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock at a site west of Cali, Colombia, had the seeds of at least 35 plant species.

When high densities of seeds are deposited in this way at Cock-of-the-Rock leks or nest sites,and when  environmental conditions are favorable for their germination and growth, the abundance and diversity of plant species growing from these seeds can be greatly increased at leks and nests, making the plant communities at these sites different from that of the surrounding forest.

The lek was located on the ridge of a steep granite hill, and its vegetation differed markedly from that of the surrounding forest and nearby ridge tops. While most of the flora at these other sites was fairly homogeneous, the vegetation at the Cock-of-the-Rock lek was a mosaic of plant species typical of many different communities. After analyzing the lek vegetation more thoroughly, researchers concluded that the greater part of it resulted from long-term seed dispersal by Cock-of-the-Rock males.

If the feeding habit of these birds can change the whole environment, our feeding habit on the word of God should have changed everyone around us…

If these birds can change a steep granite hill in to a mosaic of plant species typical of many different communities, so can we with a little help from God change, all stony hearts in to a garden of the Lilly of the valley and the Rose of Sharon…

It all depends on how many seeds we sow and how long we sow without looking at how many had sprouted…

Our job is to just sow and water…

So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. (1 Corinthians 3:7)

Have a blessed day!

Your’s in YESHUA,
a j mithra

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Lee’s Addition:

Andean Cock-of-the-Rock has a close cousin in the Guianan Cock-of-the-rock. They are both in the Cotingidae – Cotinga Family which is part of the Passeriformes Order. The Cotingidae not only has those 2 birds, but 62 others including the Cotingas, Plantcutters, Berryeaters and Fruiteaters, Bellbirds, Pihas, Fruitcrows, a Capuchinbird and 3 Umbrellabirds.