Blue-crowned manakin

Lepidothrix coronata

Photo by Anselmo d'Affonseca (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
blue-crowned manakin (en); uirapuru-de-chapéu-azul (pt); manakin à tête bleue (fr); saltarín coroniazul (es); blauscheitelpipra (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Piptridae

Range:
This species is found from Costa Rica to Peru, Bolivia and north-western Brazil.

Size:
These birds are 8,5-9 cm long and weigh 12 g.

Habitat:
The blue-crowned manakin is mostly found on the understorey of tropical rainforests, also using some mature second growth forests. The are found from sea level up to an altitude of 1.400 m.

Diet:
They feed on small fruits and berries.

Breeding:
Blue-crowned manakins breed in February-June. The males gather in leks where they perform a simple display to attract females, having no further part in the breeding process after mating. The female builds the nest, a tiny cup made of of fine fibres and lined with pieces of leaves and moss. It is placed in the fork of an horizontal branch, up to 2 m above the ground. The female lays 2 white eggs with reddish-brown spots, which she incubates alone for 18-19 days. The chicks fledge about 15 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common. The population is believed to be declining as is expect to loose 7-8% of suitable habitat in the next decade base on current models of Amazonian deforestation.