Blue Manakin
Encyclopedia
The Blue Manakin or Swallow-tailed Manakin (Chiroxiphia caudata) is a small species of bird
in the Pipridae family. It is found in north-eastern Argentina
, southern and south-eastern Brazil
, and Paraguay
.
Its natural habitat
s are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest
s, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and heavily degraded former forest. It is generally common in the appropriate habitats within its range. Formerly, the name Swallow-tailed Manakin was used widely, but as it is misleading (the tail is unlike that of any swallow
), this name has largely been abandoned for the superior Blue Manakin. As suggested by this common name
, the male is - by far - the manakin
with most blue to the plumage
. The entire body is bright blue, while the wings, tail and head, except for the red cap, are black. The far duller female is greenish overall. Both sexes have elongated central rectrices.
Juvenile males resemble the adult female, but gradually develop first the red crown, then the black face-sides, and finally the remaining plumage of the adult male. The males form leks, typically consisting of a single adult and two sub-adult males, where they sing and "dance" to attract females. This was shown in the BBC's The Life of Birds
documentary series.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in the Pipridae family. It is found in north-eastern Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, southern and south-eastern Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, and Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
.
Its natural habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and heavily degraded former forest. It is generally common in the appropriate habitats within its range. Formerly, the name Swallow-tailed Manakin was used widely, but as it is misleading (the tail is unlike that of any swallow
Swallow
The swallows and martins are a group of passerine birds in the family Hirundinidae which are characterised by their adaptation to aerial feeding...
), this name has largely been abandoned for the superior Blue Manakin. As suggested by this common name
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
, the male is - by far - the manakin
Manakin
The manakins are a family, Pipridae, of unique small suboscine passerine birds. The family contains some 60 species. They are distributed through the American tropics...
with most blue to the plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
. The entire body is bright blue, while the wings, tail and head, except for the red cap, are black. The far duller female is greenish overall. Both sexes have elongated central rectrices.
Juvenile males resemble the adult female, but gradually develop first the red crown, then the black face-sides, and finally the remaining plumage of the adult male. The males form leks, typically consisting of a single adult and two sub-adult males, where they sing and "dance" to attract females. This was shown in the BBC's The Life of Birds
The Life of Birds
The Life of Birds is a BBC nature documentary series written and presented by David Attenborough, first transmitted in the UK from 21 October 1998....
documentary series.
External links
- Photos and text - arthurgrosset.com
- Photos and text - faunaparaguay.com
- Recordings of song and call - xeno-canto.org