The Blue Crown Manakin - A Bird Who'll Definitely Catch Your Attention
Meet the blue-crowned manakin, scientifically known as "Lepidothrix coronata." These tiny birds belong to the Pipridae family, which consists of about 54 other small bird species found mostly in the American tropics.
Male blue-crowned manakins weigh anywhere between 8.5 grams and 9.5 grams, whereas female manakins weigh an average of 9.8 grams, with a maximum weight of 11.5 grams. The most visual way to tell them apart is through the feathers they wear!
While males are mostly covered in deep black feathers with a tinge of green and a bright blue crown, females are predominantly green. Although males of other subspecies have bright green bodies and striking blue crowns, it's unclear why subspecies exhibit different colors.
The blue-crowned manakin can be found in tropical rainforests and other mature forests of Costa Rica, Peru, Bolivia, and northern parts of Brazil. They can be easily located from sea level to an altitude of about 1,400 m.
When it comes to diet, these birds prefer to eat small fruits and berries. As for breeding, they mate anywhere from February to June.
To attract suitable females, the males gather in leks and perform a simple display, after which they mate and part ways. That's right—after mating, male birds take no part in building a nest or raising offspring.
It's the females who build nests using fibers, leaves, and moss. They carefully construct a bowl-shaped nest in the fork of a branch at least two meters above the ground.
After building the nest, females lay two eggs and incubate them for about 19 days. Their eggs are white with random reddish-brown spots.
About 15 days after the chicks hatch, they are ready to leave the nest in an attempt to survive and start their own lives! Miraculous, isn't it?
Let's find out more about these stunning little birds!
First Described in 1825
German naturalist Johann Baptist von Spix formally described these birds in 1825 under the name Pipra coronata. Then, in 1854, they were classified as Lepidothrix by French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte.
How They Communicate
They communicate with each other using a "swee" sound. Territorial males make a "chi-wrrr" sound when making an advertisement call.
The birds produce a "preew" sound when communicating with others in their territory, and during displays, the males make a "pee" sound.
Breeding Facts
We learned previously that during breeding, males form leks, but some males are known to go solo. When seven male birds come together, they form a lek.
Adult birds and juveniles come together to form leks and perform a simple display and/or belt out tunes in an attempt to attract mates.
During the breeding season, birds that decide to sing to attract mates perch on twigs and sing between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m.!
Hearing Range and Decibel
Their hearing range is 5,000 Hz, and their hearing threshold is 10 dB!
Threats
Although these birds are not endangered, they are exposed to high predation rates. According to experts, about 70% of their nests fail due to predator attacks.
Experts believe that only 7.5% of the nests are built to withstand predator attacks and are safe enough to fledge the chicks. Despite the fact that 70% of their nests do not survive, experts are unsure how these birds maintain their population size.
Parasitic Infections
According to studies, a majority of these birds are infected with haemosporidian parasites. Based on a study conducted by a group of experts, 50% of the samples collected from blue-crowned manakins were infected with blood parasites.
Young birds are more prone to blood infections than adult birds.
Check Out This Beautiful Bird in Action:
In Summary
The blue-crowned manakin is a sight to behold! While some birds have blue crowns, others have black and green crowns.
Experts have not been able to understand the relationship between the subspecies; nevertheless, they are just as stunning.
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