Best Birds in the World 31-40

#	Species [range]	Photo/art [see credits]; all photos taken in the wild	Summary of reasons for this choice	DR seen?
31	Kokako Callaeas cinerea [New Zealand]		Only two endemic New Zealand Wattlebirds still exist. Saddleback Creadion carunculatus is doing reasonable well where reintroduced on predator-free offshore islets. Kokako still lives in native forests on North Island but is very rare and hard to find. It has a behavior of 'bouncing' through tall trees like a forest squirrel, and has an incredible vocal repertoire. Rita & I hiked many miles in search of it in 1997, without success, but it is now recovering on some offshore islets (where I saw it in 2009).	Yes
32	Andean Cock-of-the-Rock Rupicola peruviana [Andes of South America]		The two Cocks-of-the-Rock are among the most sought-after birds in South America. There are now many locales to find these birds, but one never tires of seeing the spectacular male. The Andean likes wet subtropical forest in often rocky terrain from Colombia and western Venezuela to Bolivia. It was certainly the bird on which we spent the most time (3 days) during my first trip to South America, and although some have quick success, it remains elusive at many sites (only 2 of a dozen of us saw it on my first trip).	Yes
33	Guinean Cock-of-the-Rock Rupicola rupicola [ne. South America]		This is the bright orange cousin of the brilliant red Andean species; Guinean occurs in rocky subtropical forests from the eastern Venezuelan tepuis to the Guianas and northern Brazil. Both cock-'o-rocks are lekking species in which males have communal display sites. A fabulous article with gorgeous photos of a lek is by Pepper Trail (1985; Amer. Birds 39: 235-240).	Yes
34	Bali Myna Leucopsar rothschildi [Bali]		"What's in a name?" Many books call this "Bali Starling" but the word "starling" is replete with concepts of invasive devastation in the U.S. Birdlife International (2000) preferred Bali Myna and wrote that it is "Critically Endangered because it has an extremely small range and population and, despite conservation intervention, the number of mature individuals continues to decline owing to illegal poaching." It is a exquisite bird. Only a dozen wild birds remained in 2000, but many are in captivity and may be reintroduced to its only site: Bali Barat Nat'l Park, Bali.	Yes
35	Bornean Bristlehead Pityriasis gymnocephala [Borneo]		Bornean Bristlehead is a very odd, striking, elusive, and mysterious bird. It has only recently been recognized as the monotypic member of its own family, with no very close relatives on earth. Restricted entirely to remnants of lowland rainforest on Borneo, it is generally difficult to locate and observe, and is now perhaps "the" primary target on a bird trip that magic island; more on my Bristlehead family page.	Yes
36	Scarlet-banded Barbet Capito wallacei [c. Peru]		The Andes of South America are well known for the diversity of birds and the prevalence of endemism, and nothing better illustrates this than the spectacular new barbet discovered in cloud forest on an unnamed peak near the upper Rio Cushabatay in Peru's eastern Andes. Discovered by LSU researchers (see also Orange-throated Tanager, below) in 1996 and named in 2000 (Auk 117: 569-577), it is as gorgeous as a barbet can get. The LSU team says other "mystery birds" are in this remote region.	No
37	Giant Pitta Pitta caerulea [southeast Asia]		The world's largest pitta is scarce and elusive; when found it can be the highlight of a trip to the Greater Sundas, peninsular Malaysia, or Thailand. Ground-dwelling pittas with their haunting voices are among the globe's most fascinating birds, and many qualify for this list: Superb P. superba in the Admiralty Is., Ivory-breasted Pitta P. maxima on Halmahera, or two Philippine pittas: Azure-breasted P. steerii and Whiskered P. kochi (both original "top 50" picks decades ago). Personal experience with Blue-headed P. baudii of Borneo was breathtaking. What's a fella to do?	Yes
38	Black-necked Red Cotinga Phoenicircus nigricollis [South America]		This very impressive lekking cotinga, robed in bright crimson and black, was virtually unknown until ~30 years ago. In the 1980s, a lek was discovered quite close to Exploronapo Camp (an outlying venture of Explorama Lodge headquartered in Iquitos, Peru) that has allowed birders to observe this great bird. Its cousin, the Guianan Red-Cotinga P. carnifex, could also easily be picked on any "top 50" list. The displays of both species have only recently been studied; and both are almost impossible to find away from leks.	Yes
39	Hyacinth Macaw Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus [s. central South America]		The largest of the wonderful "blue macaws" of South America is found in the Pantanal region of se Brazil and adjacent Paraguay & Bolivia. The population has been seriously reduced by the illegal parrot trade. Two smaller relatives are even more endangered: Lear's Macaw A. leari of northeastern Brazil (only a couple known colonies left), and Spix's Macaw Cyanopsitta spixii of interior Brazil (the last one known to exist in the wild has disappeared).	Yes
40	Araripe Manakin Antilophia bokermanni [Brazil]		This is yet another choice that represents a larger group: any manakin is an exciting little bird. In many species the males form leks to display to females by wing-snapping, acrobatic jumping, and calls. This is not a lekking species, but this very striking manakin was discovered only in 1996 in the Chapada do Araripe of northeast Brazil, where it is considered critically endangered with a known range of only 1 sq.km. Fortunately that locale is within a protected area that can be visited.	No