Golden-headed Manakin
Ceratopipra erythrocephala
A chunky little bird of lowland forest in northern South America. Male is distinctive with a black body and bright golden head. The duller female can be very difficult to separate from other female manakins, but note pale bill and very drab coloration. Most often seen around male display sites, where several individuals gather to display for females. Otherwise more difficult to find; singles occur at lower to middle levels of forest, sometimes around fruiting trees.
Identification
Like other manakins, the golden-headed manakin is a compact, brightly coloured forest bird, typically 3.7 in (9.4 cm) long and weighing 0.44 oz (12.5 g). The adult male is black apart from a golden cap, white and red thighs, pink legs and a yellowish bill. The female and young males are olive-green and resemble female white-bearded manakins, but are smaller, shorter-tailed and have pinkish (not bright orange) legs. Apart from the buzzing display song (see below), the golden-headed manakin has a number of other calls, including a buzzing pir pir prrrrrt.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Ceratopipra erythrocephala
- Authority
- (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Pipridae
- Genus
- Ceratopipra
Range and habitat
This manakin is found from Panama, Colombia and Trinidad south and east to the Guianas and Brazil and northern Peru. It is not found south of the Amazon or the Ucayali Rivers.It is a common bird of forests, second growth and plantations. Their upper altitudinal limit is usually about 3,600 ft (1,100 m), but they are occasionally found has high as c.5,000 ft (1,500 m) ASL. Like other manakins they eat fruit and some insects and spiders.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Male golden-headed manakins give a fascinating courtship display at a communal lek. Each male occupies a horizontal perch 20–40 ft (6–12 m) high and rapidly jumps, slides, or darts to other perches. The display is accompanied by the whirring of the wings and a buzzing zit-zit call. Groups of up to 12 birds may perform together. The female builds a shallow cup nest low in a tree; two brown-mottled yellowish eggs are laid, and incubated entirely by the female for about 16–17 days.<p>This bird has a large range and is thus considered a species of Least Concern by the IUCN.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Planalto Tapaculo
Scytalopus pachecoi
Small, nondescript bird that is usually very difficult to spot. Mostly dark gray with a cinnamon vent with dark bars. Females are browner. Occurs in primary forests and old second growth, including Araucaria forest with dense understory; especially fond of areas with terrestrial bromeliads. The song is a very long and monotonous repetition of a single note.
Black-throated Barbet
Tricholaema melanocephala
A medium-sized black-and-white barbet. Note the boldly striped face and the black throat patch. Found in dry savanna and thornscrub. Similar to Spot-flanked Barbet, but lacks spots on the flanks and has a dark rather than yellow eye. Also similar to Red-fronted Barbet, but lacks a red front, and has a black throat. The common call is a series of several nasal “kya” notes.
White-browed Triller
Lalage moesta
A medium-sized bird of lowland wooded habitats, including mangroves, on Tanimbar Island where the only triller. White underparts, black upperparts with short, white eyebrow, 2 white wing-bars and other white-edged wing feathers. Loetoe Monarch has a white belly and black wing with a white patch, but a very different head pattern, with black throat and white cheek. Call, a sharp, nasal “jek!”.
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