Chestnut-capped Piha
CR

Chestnut-capped Piha

Lipaugus weberi

Declining

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chestnut-capped_piha

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

Lipaugus weberi faces severe population decline primarily due to extensive deforestation and habitat fragmentation within its restricted range in the Chocó bioregion. Mining activities, particularly gold extraction, have degraded critical forest areas, while agricultural expansion continues to reduce available habitat. The species' extremely limited distribution makes it highly vulnerable to any habitat loss, with logging operations targeting the humid lowland forests essential for its survival.

Threat summary

Habitat

This cotinga inhabits humid lowland forests and forest edges in the Chocó bioregion of western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador. It prefers dense, primary forest canopy areas with high humidity and abundant fruiting trees typical of tropical rainforest ecosystems.

Forest· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionSpecies managementSpecies recovery

Other threatened species in COTINGIDAE

CR

Banded Cotinga

Cotinga maculata

Declining
VU

Turquoise Cotinga

Cotinga ridgwayi

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EN

Apolo Cotinga

Phibalura boliviana

Declining
VU

Grey-winged Cotinga

Lipaugus conditus

Stable

Threatened in Colombia

EN

Helena's Marsupial Frog

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EN

Varied White-fronted Capuchin

Cebus versicolor

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VU

Brunellia pallida

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Chaceus ibiricensis

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Chestnut-capped Piha classified as Critically Endangered?
Chestnut-capped Piha is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Lipaugus weberi faces severe population decline primarily due to extensive deforestation and habitat fragmentation within its restricted range in the Chocó bioregion. Mining activities, particularly gold extraction, have degraded critical forest areas, while agricultural expansion continues to reduce available habitat. The species' extremely limited distribution makes it highly vulnerable to any habitat loss, with logging operations targeting the humid lowland forests essential for its survival.
Where does Chestnut-capped Piha live?
Chestnut-capped Piha occurs in Colombia. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Chestnut-capped Piha?
The main threats to Chestnut-capped Piha are 1.1, 11.1, 2.1, and 2.3. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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