Lance-tailed manakin

Chiroxiphia lanceolata

Photo by Nick Athanas (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
lance-tailed manakin (en); tangará-lanceolado (pt); manakin lancéolé (fr); saltarín lanceolado (es); lanzettschwanzpipra (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pipridae

Range:
This species is found from south-western Costa Rica, through Panama and northern Colombia and into northern Venezuela as far east as the Gulf of Paria.

Size:
These birds are 13-13,5 cm long, including the elongated tail fathers and weigh 14-23 g.

Habitat:
The lance-tailed manakin is mostly found in dry and moist tropical forests with thick undergrowth, also using second growths and dense scrublands. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.700 m.

Diet:
They feed on a wide range of small fruits, including those of Rubiaceae, Solanaceae, Araliaciae, Verbenaceae, Gesneriaciae, Melastomataceae, Malvaceae, Flacourtiaceae and several others. Occasionally, they also take insects. Food items are taken in flight, using both sally and hover tactics.

Breeding:
Lance-tailed manakins breed in March-September. The males display in leks to attract females, having no further part in the breeding process after mating. Females build a small cup nest made of woven plant fibres, leaves and fungal rhizomorphs, which is attached to a twig using spider webs and saliva. It is placed in a scrub, about 1 m above the ground. The female lays 1-2 beige or brownish-white eggs with dark brown markings, which she incubates alone for about 18 days. The chicks are raised by the mother alone and fledge about 16 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as fairly common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

White-ruffed manakin

Corapipo altera

Photo by Larry Thompson (Discover Life)

Common name:
white-ruffed manakin (en); rendeira-de-garganta-branca (pt); manakin à fraise (fr); saltarín de barba blanca (es); weißkragenpipra (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pipridae

Range:
This species is found from the eastern Honduras south to Colombia and western Venezuela.

Size:
These birds are 10 cm long and weigh 12-13 g.

Habitat:
The white-ruffed manakin is found in the understory of moist tropical forests, especially in lowland areas, but also in mountainous areas up to an altitude of 1.500 m.

Diet:
They forage among the foliage in the forest understorey, taking mainly fruits, such as Casearia arborea, Conostegia cooperi, Henriettella tuberculosa, Miconia smaragdina, Oreopanax sp. and Ossaea sp., but also some insects. They often join tanagers and other birds in mixed-species foraging flocks.

Breeding:
White-ruffed manakins breed in April-June. The males form a lek where they display to attract females, having no further part in the breeding process after mating. Each female builds her nest, a shallow cup made of dark fungal filaments and dry leaves. The nest is placed in an horizontal fork, 5-7 m above the ground. She lays 2 whitish eggs with brown markings, which she incubates alone for 18-21 days. The chicks are fed by the mother but there is no information regarding the length of the fledgling period.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as common in Costa Rica and fairly common to common in Panama. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

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.

Golden-headed manakin

Pipra erythrocephala

(Photo from Flickr)

Common name:
golden-headed manakin (en); cabeça-de-ouro (pt); manakin à tête d'or (fr); saltarín cabecidorado (es); gelbkopfpipra (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pipridae

Range:
These birds are found in northern South America, from Southern panama, through Colombia and Venezuela and into the Guyanas, eastern Ecuador, northern Peru and Brazil north of the Amazon river. They are also found in Trinidad and Tobago.

Size:
The golden-headed manakin is 9-10 cm long and weighs 12-14 g.

Habitat:
These birds are mainly found in the under and midstory of tropical moist forests, but also to some extent in second growths and plantations. they occur from sea level up to an altitude of 2.o00 m.

Diet:
They are frugivorous, taking small fruits which are plucked while in flight or gleaned from the foliage. Their diet is mainly composed of the fruits of Melastomaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Moraceae, Araliaceae, Rubiaceae and Araceae.

Breeding:
Golden-headed manakins breed all year round. The males are polygamous, forming a lek where they perform a display to attract females. After copulating with the females the males have no further part in the breeding process. The female builds a shallow cup nest made of
plant fibres, rootlets and a few dead leaves. The nest is placed in a fork in a tree or scrub, typically up to 3 m above the ground, but occasionally as high as 11 m above the ground. There she lays 1-2 yellowish eggs with brown mottles, which she incubates alone for 16-19 days. The chicks are fed by the female alone and fledge 14-20 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as fairly common. Although the golden-headed manakin is widespread and has a stable population, current rates of deforestation in the Amazon basin may pose a future threat to this species.

White-collared manakin

Manacus candei

Photo by Tristan Bantock (Flickr)

Common name:
white-collared manakin (en); rendeira-de-colar-branco (pt); manakin à col blanc (fr); saltarín cuelliblanco (es); weißbandpipra (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pipridae

Range:
This species is found along the Caribbean slopes of Central America, from south-eastern Mexico to northern Panama.

Size:
These birds are 11 cm long and weigh 18-20 g.

Habitat:
The white-collared manakin in found moist tropical forests and scrubland, typically in open woodlands, thickets along forest edges, second growths, old cocoa plantations and along watercourses. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 950 m.

Diet:
They mainly feed on fruits, but will also take some small insects.

Breeding:
White-collared manakins are polygamous, with the males displaying in leks to attract females, having no further part in the reproductive process after mating. The female builds the nest, a delicately woven cup made of black fungal rhizomorphs, plant fibres and inflorescences, placed in an horizontal fork in a tree up to 2 m above the ground. There she lays 2 white eggs with brown sprinkles, which she incubates alone for 18-21 days. She also feeds an takes care of the chicks alone until they fledge.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and a global population estimated at 50.000-500.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

White-bearded manakin

Manacus manacus

Photo by Dário Sanches (Flickrhivemind)

Common name:
white-bearded manakin (en); rendeira (pt); manakin casse-noisette (fr); saltarín barbiblanco (es); weißbrustpipra (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pipridae


Range:
This South American species is found from Colombia, Venezuela and the Guyanas, through Brazil, Ecuador and Peru, and into Bolivia, Paraguay and northern Argentina.


Size:
These birds are 10-11 cm long and weigh 16,5-18 g.


Habitat:
These birds are mostly found in tropical and sub-tropical moist forests, especially in gallery forests along river and streams and along forest edges with dense undergrowth. They are also found in second growths and other degraded former forests. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.000 m.


Diet:
White-bearded manakins are mostly frugivorous, eating a wide range of small fruits which they usually swallow whole. This makes them an important seed disperser. They also eat seeds and arthropods including beetles, flies, termite alates and spiders.


Breeding:
They can breed all year round, with the local breeding season varying according to the region. The female builds the nest, a shallow cup woven with rootlets, dead leaves and plant fibres, and lined with finer materials. The nest is built between two horizontal twigs and secured with spider webs. It is placed in a bush or small tree, up 1,5 m above the ground, typically near water. The female lays 2 white eggs with brown mottles, which she incubates alone for 18-19 days. The female raises the chicks alone and they fledge 13-15 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
The white-bearded manakin has a very large breeding range and is described as fairly common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Helmeted manakin

Antilophia galeata

Photo by Dario Sanches (Flickriver)

Common name:

helmeted manakin (en); soldadinho (pt); manakin casqué (fr); saltarín de yelmo (es); helmpipra (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Pipridae

Range:

This South American species is found in central and south-western Brazil, in north-eastern Paraguay, and along the border region of north-east Bolivia.

Size:

These birds are 14-15 cm long and weigh 16-24 g.

Habitat:

The hemleted manakin is found in various types of forest and woodland in semi-humid or fairly arid regions, but commonly near water. They are present at altitudes of 500-1000 m.

Diet:

These birds are mostly frugivorous, eating the fruits of various plant species. They also eat some arthropods, namely Aranea, Orthoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera and Hymenoptera.

Breeding:

These birds breed in August-January. They build a cup shaped nest placed in a fork in a tree. There the female lays 1-2 brownish eggs, which she incubates alone for 17-19 days. The chicks are fed berries and insects by the female and fledge 13-15 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and, although the global population has not been quantified, this species is described as fairly common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Wire-tailed manakin

Pipra filicauda

Common name:

wire-tailed manakin (en); rabo-de-arame (pt); manakin filifère (fr); saltarín uirapuru (es); fadenpira (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Pipridae

Range:

The wire-tailed manakin is found upriver in the western Amazon Basin, in Brazil and the neighboring countries of northern Peru, eastern Ecuador and Colombia, and in thesouthern and western portions of Venezuela.

Size:

These birds are 10-11 cm long and weigh 14-17 g.

Habitat:

Wire-tailed manakins prefer the edges of humid, tropical forests, forest clearings, and the edges of agricultural land, especially near streams and rivers.

Diet:

They mostly eat berries and fruit, but also hunt small insects which are taken during quick, sallying flights.

Breeding:

Wire-tailed manakins are polygamous with males forming widely scattered leks in forest, in perches located 1-8 m above the ground. After copulation, the females fly off alone to build the nests, incubate the eggs, and raise the young. The nest is constructed using woven fibers and grasses to form a tiny hammock in small trees or ferns, usually over water. There the female lays 1-2 eggs which she incubates for 17–21 days. The chicks fledge 13-15 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

Although The global population size has not been quantified, this species is described as 'fairly common but patchily distributed' throughout its very large breeding range. With no evidence for any declines or substantial threats this species is not considered threatened at present.