Blue-crowned Manakin
This common Osa Peninsula species is sometimes called the Velvety Manakin for the male’s black body, but it is distinguished from other Manakins by its sea-blue crown. The female on the other hand is forest green with a buff yellow belly; colors a bit more inconspicuous for having to sit on a nest and keep out of sight of predators. Most Manakins are small stout birds only about 3 ½” in length inhabiting mostly the understory of humid tropical forests. The Blue-crowned Manakin will dart upward in a quick energetic burst to pluck berries and grab insects from foliage without landing and return down to its perch to eat. Interestingly, Manakins are not known to form pair bonds in the breeding season. Instead, males gather in courtship assemblies or “leks” where each male has his own station and performs a display of rapid, darting flights between horizontal branches to attract a female to breed with. In the midst of the display, males will force other males out of their perches. The dance is also accompanied by a song which sounds like a trill followed by a frog like perrr-eeeek.
Listen to the Blue-crowned Manakin song:
The Blue-crowned Manakin is found from Costa Rica down through Columbia, Ecuador, Northern Bolivia and Central Brazil. This photograph was taken by Hugo Loaiza in Columbia and his stunning photography can be found at www.hugoloaiza.tk. Friends of the Osa would like to thank Hugo for his contribution to conservation and for helping us in our efforts to highlight important tropical avian species.
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