Lance-tailed Manakin

The Lance-tailed Manakin, Chiroxiphia lanceolata, is a diminutive and vibrant passerine, typically measuring around 13.5 centimeters in length and weighing 17.5 grams. Both males and females boast strikingly orange legs and possess two central tail feathers that extend into a distinctive spike.

Identification Tips

Adult males are predominantly black with a vivid red cap and a sky-blue back, making them quite unmistakable in their forest habitat. Females and juveniles, on the other hand, are clothed in an olive-green plumage with slightly paler underparts. While most females are a uniform green, a select few may exhibit tawny or red caps. Young males initially resemble females but gradually develop the red cap and blue back as they mature, reaching full adult plumage at about 26 months.

Habitat

The Lance-tailed Manakin favors the dry and moist deciduous forests of its range and is notably absent from rainforests.

Distribution

This species is found from the tropical regions of Central America, starting in Costa Rica, and extending down into northern Venezuela.

Behaviour

During the breeding season, males engage in a remarkable cooperative display. Pairs of males perch side by side on a bare stick and perform an alternating jumping dance, sometimes incorporating short flights. This display is not competitive but rather a joint effort to attract females. Groups may perform together, with each pair occupying a separate stick.

Song & Calls

The Lance-tailed Manakin communicates with a variety of calls including a "Toe-LEE-do," a "curry-ho," and a frog-like buzzing croak, the latter typically emitted by males during their display rituals.

Breeding

The female is solely responsible for nest building, creating a cup-shaped structure in a tree. She lays two brown-mottled cream eggs and incubates them for about 20 days without assistance from the male.

Similar Species

The Lance-tailed Manakin can be confused with the Blue-backed Manakin, Chiroxiphia pareola, which resides further south and east. However, the Blue-backed Manakin lacks the spiky tail and the male has a darker blue back.

Diet and Feeding

These birds primarily consume fruit, supplementing their diet with insects.

Conservation status

With a broad range and fairly common presence, the Lance-tailed Manakin is presumed to have a large total population. The population trend appears stable, and it has been classified as "Least Concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.