The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™

ISSN 2307-8235 (online)

IUCN 2023: T22700773A222728108

Scope(s): Global

Language: English

Zaratornis stresemanni, White-cheeked Cotinga

Assessment by: BirdLife International

View on www.iucnredlist.org

Citation: BirdLife International 2023. Zaratornis stresemanni. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2023: e.T22700773A222728108. Accessed on 09 March 2026.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
Animalia	Chordata	Aves	Passeriformes	Cotingidae

Scientific Name: Zaratornis stresemanni Koepcke, 1964

Synonym(s):

• Ampelion stresemanni stresemanni Collar and Andrew (1988)

• Ampelion stresemanni stresemanni Stotz et al. (1996)

Common Name(s):

• English:	White-cheeked Cotinga

Taxonomic Source(s):

SACC. 2005 and updates. A classification of the bird species of South America. Available at: #http://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm#.

del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A., Fishpool, L.D.C., Boesman, P. and Kirwan, G.M. 2016. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: Passerines. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

Identification Information:

18 cm. Distinctively patterned cotinga. Black crown. Silvery-white face and cheeks. Grey-brown throat and upper breast. Rest of underparts yellowish-buff, coarsely streaked black, except in mid-belly. Brighter crissum. Upperparts striped buff and dusky. Dusky wings and tail fringed yellowish. Red iris. Juvenile paler, with drab breast. Similar spp. Juvenile Red-crested Cotinga Ampelion rubrocristatus has grey crown, lacks white face and has less well-defined plumage. Voice Frog-like song is loud, low-pitched and nasal reh-reh-reh-rrrrr-rE-rE, lasting c.4 seconds.

Assessment Information

Red List Category & Criteria:	Near Threatened C2a(i) ver 3.1
Year Published:	2023
Date Assessed:	March 02 2023

Justification:

This species has a small population, which is in decline due to the loss and degradation of Polylepis woodlands within its range. It is therefore assessed as Near Threatened.

Previously Published Red List Assessments

2016 – Vulnerable (VU)

2012 – Vulnerable (VU)

2008 – Vulnerable (VU)

2006 – Vulnerable (VU)

2004 – Vulnerable (VU)

2000 – Vulnerable (VU)

1996 – Vulnerable (VU)

1994 – Vulnerable (VU)

1988 – Threatened (T)

Geographic Range

Range Description:

Zaratornis stresemanni is patchily distributed in the Cordillera Occidental of the Andes in Peru (La Libertad, Ancash, Lima, Ayacucho and Arequipa), with most records on the west slope.

Country Occurrence:

Native, Extant (resident): Peru

Distribution Map

Tiles (C) Esri -- Esri, DeLorme, NAVTEQ, TomTom, Intermap, iPC, USGS, FAO, NPS, NRCAN, GeoBase, Kadaster NL, Ordnance Survey, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), and the GIS User Community

Compiled by: BirdLife International and Handbook of the Birds of the World 2022

Legend

EXTANT (RESIDENT)

The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply any official endorsement, acceptance or opinion by IUCN.

Population

The species is patchily distributed, but locally common or fairly common. In 1992, the population was suspected to number 1,000-4,000 mature individuals (Collar et al. 1992), though this may be a slight underestimate. Tentatively, the population is here placed in the band 2,500-9,999 mature individuals, but an accurate quantification of the population size is urgently required.

Trend Justification

The species is suffering from the loss and degradation of Polylepis forests within its range, on which it strictly depends, while heavy grazing by livestock does not allow the forests to regenerate. Consequently, the population is inferred to undergo a slow decline, the rate of which has not been quantified.

Current Population Trend: Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology

(see Appendix for additional information)

The species inhabits small patches of Polylepis woodland with a ground cover of Gynoxys shrubs and puna grass, mostly at elevations of 3,250-4,760 m (Schulenberg 2020). Despite being resident, it may undertake some seasonal altitudinal movements and descend to lower elevations during the dry season between August and November. It feeds primarily on two genera of mistletoe, for which it is the main seed-dispersal agent (Castañeda Gil 2010). Nest-building has been recorded in March, and nests with eggs and young have been found in May.

Systems: Terrestrial

Threats

(see Appendix for additional information)

The most severe threat to the species are uncontrolled cutting of Polylepis woodlands for timber, firewood and charcoal, and heavy grazing by livestock, which prevent forest regeneration (Fjeldså and Kessler 1996; J. Fjeldså in litt. 1999, 2007; SERFOR 2018). Other factors include the inadequacy of afforestation projects, in particular the use of exotic plants (Fjeldså and Kessler 1996).

Conservation Actions

(see Appendix for additional information)

Conservation Actions Underway
The species occurs within several protected areas across its range, including Huascarán National Park, Ancash.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Survey to locate additional populations and refine the distribution range. Accurately quantify the population size. Research the species' ecology. Quantify the impact of threats on the population size. Monitor the population trend. Monitor rates of habitat loss.
Protect areas of suitable habitat within the range. Prevent overgrazing. Create buffer zones of firewood trees in altitudes below Polylepis woodlands. Establish reforestation programmes with Polylepis and other native species. Raise awareness for the species and its habitat.

Credits

Assessor(s):	BirdLife International
Reviewer(s):	Vine, J.
Contributor(s):	Angulo Pratolongo, F., Capper, D., Fjeldså, J., Isherwood, I., Khwaja, N., Pilgrim, J., Pople, R., Servat, G., Sharpe, C.J., Stuart, T., Symes, A. and Valqui, T.
Facilitator(s) and Compiler(s):	Hermes, C.
Partner(s) and Institution(s):	BirdLife International
Authority/Authorities:	IUCN SSC Bird Red List Authority (BirdLife International)

Bibliography

Bird, J.P., Martin, R., Akçakaya, H.R., Gilroy, J., Burfield, I.J., Garnett, S.G., Symes, A., Taylor, J., Şekercioğlu, Ç.H. and Butchart, S.H.M. 2020. Generation lengths of the world’s birds and their implications for extinction risk. Conservation Biology 34(5): 1252-1261.

Castañeda Gil, K. 2010. Propagación de Tristerix sp. por cotingas en el Parque Nacional Huascarán. Boletín Informativo UNOP 5(3): 21-22.

Collar, N.J., Gonzaga, L.P., Krabbe, N., Madroño Nieto, A., Naranjo, L.G., Parker, T.A. and Wege, D.C. 1992. Threatened birds of the Americas: the ICBP/IUCN Red Data Book. International Council for Bird Preservation, Cambridge, U.K.

Fjeldså, J.; Kessler, M. 1996. Conserving the biological diversity of Polylepis woodlands of the highland of Peru and Bolivia. NORDECO, Copenhagen.

GBIF.org. 2022. GBIF Occurrence Download (18 October 2022): Zaratornis stresemanni. Available at: https://doi.org/10.15468/dl.vrdckp.

IUCN. 2023. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2023-1. Available at: www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 07 December 2023).

Schulenberg, T. S. 2020. White-cheeked Cotinga (Zaratornis stresemanni), version 1.0. Ithaca, NY, USA. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.whccot1.01.

SERFOR. 2018. Libro Rojo de la Fauna Silvestre Amenazada del Perú. Primera edición. SERFOR, Lima, Peru.

Citation

BirdLife International 2023. Zaratornis stresemanni. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2023: e.T22700773A222728108. Accessed on 09 March 2026.

Disclaimer

To make use of this information, please check the Terms of Use.

External Resources

For Supplementary Material, and for Images and External Links to Additional Information, please see the Red List website.

Appendix

For more information on IUCN Classification Schemes referenced in this appendix, please visit: http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes

Habitats

Habitat	Season	Suitability	Major Importance?
1. Forest -> 1.9. Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane	Resident	Suitable	Yes

Threats

Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity
2. Agriculture & aquaculture -> 2.3. Livestock farming & ranching -> 2.3.2. Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming Stresses: 1. Ecosystem stresses -> 1.1. Ecosystem conversion 1. Ecosystem stresses -> 1.2. Ecosystem degradation	Ongoing	Majority (50-90%)	Slow, Significant Declines
5. Biological resource use -> 5.3. Logging & wood harvesting -> 5.3.3. Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest] Stresses: 1. Ecosystem stresses -> 1.2. Ecosystem degradation	Ongoing	Majority (50-90%)	Slow, Significant Declines
8. Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases -> 8.1. Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases -> 8.1.1. Unspecified species Stresses: 1. Ecosystem stresses -> 1.2. Ecosystem degradation	Ongoing	Minority (<50%)	Slow, Significant Declines

Conservation Actions in Place

Conservation Action in Place
In-place research and monitoring
Action Recovery Plan: No
Systematic monitoring scheme: No
In-place land/water protection
Conservation sites identified: Yes, over entire range
Area based regional management plan: No
Occurs in at least one protected area: Yes
Invasive species control or prevention: No
In-place species management
Harvest management plan: No
Successfully reintroduced or introduced benignly: No
Subject to ex-situ conservation: No
In-place education
Subject to recent education and awareness programmes: No
Included in international legislation: No
Subject to any international management / trade controls: No

Conservation Actions Needed

Conservation Action Needed	Notes
1. Land/water protection -> 1.1. Site/area protection	Protect areas of suitable habitat within the range.
2. Land/water management -> 2.1. Site/area management	Prevent overgrazing. Create buffer zones of firewood trees in altitudes below <i>Polylepis</i> woodlands.
2. Land/water management -> 2.3. Habitat & natural process restoration	Establish reforestation programmes with <i>Polylepis</i> and other native species.
4. Education & awareness -> 4.3. Awareness & communications	Raise awareness for the species and its habitat.

Research Needed

Research Needed	Notes
1. Research -> 1.2. Population size, distribution & trends	Survey to locate additional populations and refine the distribution range. Accurately quantify the population size.
1. Research -> 1.3. Life history & ecology	Research the species' ecology.
1. Research -> 1.5. Threats	Quantify the impact of threats on the population size.
3. Monitoring -> 3.1. Population trends	Monitor the population trend.
3. Monitoring -> 3.4. Habitat trends	Monitor rates of habitat loss.

Additional Data Fields

Distribution
Continuing decline in area of occupancy (AOO): Unknown
Extreme fluctuations in area of occupancy (AOO): No
Estimated extent of occurrence (EOO) (km²): 132000
Continuing decline in extent of occurrence (EOO): Unknown
Extreme fluctuations in extent of occurrence (EOO): No
Continuing decline in number of locations: Unknown
Extreme fluctuations in the number of locations: No
Lower elevation limit (m): 3250
Upper elevation limit (m): 4760

Population
Number of mature individuals: 2,500-9,999
Continuing decline of mature individuals: Yes
Extreme fluctuations: No
Population severely fragmented: Unknown
No. of subpopulations: 10-100
Continuing decline in subpopulations: Unknown
Extreme fluctuations in subpopulations: No
All individuals in one subpopulation: No
No. of individuals in largest subpopulation: 251-1000

Habitats and Ecology
Continuing decline in area, extent and/or quality of habitat: Yes
Generation Length (years): 3.51
Movement patterns: Not a Migrant

The IUCN Red List Partnership

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is produced and managed by the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) and The IUCN Red List Partnership.

The IUCN Red List Partners are: ABQ BioPark; Arizona State University; BirdLife International; Botanic Gardens Conservation International; Conservation International; Missouri Botanical Garden; NatureServe; Re:wild; Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Sapienza University of Rome; Senckenberg Society for Nature Research; Texas A&M University; and Zoological Society of London..