Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock; Rupicola rupicola

I first saw a picture of Rupicola rupicola in an old encyclopedia belonging to my grandparents. I was immediately drawn to it's bright orange plumage, and the male's flamboyant half moon crest that obscures both face and beak. They're native to South America, and the males use leks to attract females. Leks are areas, or clearings (whether in forest or prairie) where many males of that particular species will congregate and display for spectating females. Prairie chickens and Sage Grouse are species here in North America that use this system as well.

I had to complete a painting recently for this show. I couldn't decide what to paint, and then when I was at the Field Museum, browsing the collections, I decided to look up some specimens of Guianan Cock-of-the- Rocks. The first image is of my surrealist two-headed rupicola painting on plywood, and the second is a detail photo of one of the specimens I used for reference.