286
MANAKINS (PIPRIDAE; 8 SPECIES) Neotropical family of small fruit-eating birds;
males often colorful and noted for complex displays. Ages/sexes differ; adult appearance
attained in 1–3 years. Tend to sit quietly in shady understory and mid-story, sallying briefly
to pluck berries, when wings can make distinctive strong whirr. Easily overlooked if not vocal
or displaying.
LONG-TAILED MANAKIN Chiroxiphia linearis 11–12cm + male tail streamers.
Distinctive manakin of drier forest and adjacent second growth, gallery forest,
locally mangrove edge. No overlap with Lance-tailed Manakin. Mainly at low
to mid-levels in shady understory. In display, 2–3 males leap up, hover briefly,
and sometimes reverse leapfrog each other along a low thin branch. Adult male
unmistakable; female relatively large and pale-bellied with long tail, bright
orange legs, black bill; cf. White-collared Manakin. 1st-year male like female
but with red crown patch, sometimes blackish in face; 2nd-year has head and
underparts variably mottled black, long tail streamers, sometimes some blue on
back; 3rd-year male mostly like adult but messier, mottled with some olive. SOUNDS: Varied calls include
rich whistled téeeu-hu, quieter wheu, clipped pic! and slurred, semi-metallic burry u’yeeaah. Hollow
whistled to-lee-doh in male duet; burry frog-like jeh-rréuh repeated steadily in leaping display, superimposed
with low burry bleating of wings. STATUS: Fairly common to common on n. Pacific slope, to 1500m; spills
over locally to adjacent Caribbean slope. (Mexico to Costa Rica.)
LANCE-TAILED MANAKIN Chiroxiphia lanceolata 11–12cm + male tail
streamers. Counterpart to Long-tailed Manakin on extreme s. Pacific slope, in
humid forest and woodland, taller second growth. Favors shady understory, and
habits much like Long-tailed; in display, 2 males leap up, hover briefly, and
sometimes reverse leapfrog each other along a low thin branch. Female larger
and paler than other manakins in range, with long tail. 1st-year male has red
crown patch, older 1st-years have blackish face; 2nd-year male has blue back,
body mottled black and olive. SOUNDS: Varied calls include clipped downslurred
téu, downslurred nasal brreeah. Hollow whistled te-wee-hu in male duet, higher
and quicker than Long-tailed Manakin; burry, low pulsating bleating in leaping display, often interjected
with nasal breéh calls; could be passed off as insects or frogs. STATUS: Fairly common to common locally
on s. Pacific slope, mainly 1000–1500m. (Costa Rica to n. Venezuela.)
ORANGE-COLLARED MANAKIN Manacus aurantiacus 9.5–10cm. Stunning
little manakin of humid forest understory and edge, adjacent taller second
growth, plantations. Mainly at low levels in shady understory. Displays much
like White-collared Manakin, but clears smaller area of forest floor. Distinctive
in range, cf. local overlap with larger female Long-tailed Manakin. Imm.
male resembles female but throat and upper breast tinged golden yellow.
SOUNDS: Downslurred, slightly explosive whistled ts-reéu and downslurred,
burry to slightly rattled chierrr. In display, male makes loud wing snaps and
rattles recalling White-collared Manakin, often alternated with burry whistles;
wings make papery rustling in flight. STATUS: Fairly common locally on s. Pacific slope, to 1100m. (Costa
Rica to w. Panama.)
WHITE-COLLARED MANAKIN Manacus candei 11.5–12cm. Striking
manakin of humid lowland forest edge, second growth thickets such as Heliconia,
overgrown plantations. Mainly at low levels in shady thickets, where males often
detected by wing whirr during sallies for fruit; less often at mid–upper levels in
fruiting trees. Displaying males clear a circle of forest floor and make snapping
display leaps between slender saplings either side of the cleared area. Male
unmistakable; female told by yellow belly, orange legs, black bill, cf. female Red-
capped and Long-tailed Manakins. Imm. male resembles female but throat and
median upper breast pale gray. SOUNDS: Downslurred, burry whistled brréu, and
lower burry rrreu. In display, males make remarkably loud ‘firecracker’ wing snaps and mechanical wing
rattles, often alternated with burry whistles; wings make papery rustling in flight. STATUS: Fairly common
on Caribbean slope, to 800m; spills over locally to adjacent n. Pacific slope. (Mexico to w. Panama.)
