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Red-capped Manakin, a epic bird in Roost
  • Red-capped Manakin, profile

    Profile

  • Red-capped Manakin, in flight

    In flight

Manakins

Red-capped Manakin

Ceratopipra mentalis

  • epic
  • 48 km/h
  • Least Concern

The male moonwalks. Literally. Backward-shuffles along a branch faster than the eye can track to impress females.

Habitat
Humid tropical/subtropical evergreen and semideciduous lowland forest, tall second growth, and thickets; also visits forest edges, clearings, and scrubby areas. Occurs mostly below 400-500 m elevation, occasionally up to ~900 m.
Fun fact
Male Red-capped Manakins court females with a rapid backward "moonwalk" slide along their display perch — a documented display (Wikipedia's own external links include an animated GIF of it) and one of the most famous courtship dances in the bird world.
Range
Southeastern Mexico south through Central America (Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama) to the Pacific slope of Colombia and northwestern Ecuador; the only red-headed manakin species found in Central America or west of the Andes in South America. (Note: Wikipedia's range text additionally names Peru; Birds of the World's more precise account, used here, caps the South American range at NW Ecuador — see disputes.)
Diet
Primarily frugivorous, feeding almost exclusively on small fruits/berries from roughly 70 plant species (confirmed genera include Clidemia, Hampea, Henriettea, Leandra, Miconia, Ossaea, Pinzona, and Psychotria); fruit passes through the gut in under 18 minutes. Occasionally takes small arthropods.
Size
0.1 m
Lifespan
10 years

More Manakins

The other 4 birds in the collection.