White-ruffed manakin

Last updated

White-ruffed manakin
White-ruffed Manakin (C. altera).JPG
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Pipridae
Genus: Corapipo
Species:
C. altera
Binomial name
Corapipo altera
Hellmayr, 1906
Corapipo altera map.svg

The white-ruffed manakin (Corapipo altera) is a sub-oscine (Tyranni), passerine bird in the manakin family. It is a resident breeder in the tropical New World from eastern Honduras to northwestern Colombia. Its typical habitat is wet forest, adjacent clearings and tall secondary growth. It is a small, plump bird about 10 centimetres (4 in) long. Males have glossy blue-black plumage with a white erectile ruff on the throat and females are green. At breeding time, males are involved in lekking behaviour on the forest floor during which they puff out their neck feathers. This is a fairly common species with a wide range.

Contents

Description

The white-ruffed manakin is, like its relatives, a compact short-tailed bird with a flat, wide bill, dark legs and striking male plumage. It is typically 10 cm long and weighs ~11 g (9–14 g, males are smaller than females).

The adult male is mostly glossy blue-black with a white erectile ruff on the throat and sides of the neck. His wings are modified, with a very short outer primary. Females and birds in their first year of life are olive-green with a greyish throat. In their second year, males molt into a mostly-green plumage but with a black mask and partial white ruff. Only following the breeding season in their third year do they acquire the adult plumage.

Distribution and habitat

It is common in the foothills and middle elevations of Central America, breeding mainly between 400 and 600 m on the Caribbean slope and up to 1500 m on the Pacific slopes. Some populations are partial altitudinal migrants, meaning that some individuals migrate to lower elevations during the wet (non-breeding) season. [1] [2] This is a species of wet forest, mainly restricted to primary forest, but sometimes occupying adjacent clearings and tall secondary growth.

Behaviour and ecology

Breeding

Like other manakins, this species has fascinating, breeding biology. [3] Males display at leks. These consist of multiple fallen mossy logs on or near the forest floor within earshot of one another. Males can display alone or in coordinated displays with other males. Their displays consist of slow fluttering "butterfly" flights to and from their logs and between nearby perches, log landings and "throat flags" while crouched and flicking wings. The culmination of the display consists of a butterfly flight from the log circling up above the forest canopy, above-canopy flights accompanied by high, thin "seeuw-seeuw" calls, then a high speed dive to the log, followed by a jump and about-face. [4] Males make three sounds during the dive and jump portion of the display, characterized as "flap-chee-wah". [5] Females visit multiple logs and select a male with whom to mate. If she is interested, she will land on a males' log. Copulation always occurs on the log, and is preceded by the flap-chee-wah display with the male doing his final jump over the female and copulating immediately afterward. [6] Young males often practice displays, sometimes in groups of 4–5, typically on logs that are not used by adults in that season. The degree to which males display together varies widely and is relatively constant within a season. Relative to other manakin species, male ownership of log, and log use from year to year are relatively dynamic with ~40% of them turning over between years at one site. [3] The female lays two brown-speckled white eggs in a shallow cup nest 5–7 m high in a horizontal tree fork. Nest-building, incubation for 18–21 days, and care of the young are undertaken by the female alone, since manakins do not form stable pairs. In Central America, males display primarily from March through May and peak fledging appears to occur in June based on mist-net records. [3] This corresponds to the driest months of the year.

Food and feeding

The white-ruffed manakin feeds low in the trees on fruit and some spiders and insects, both plucked from the foliage in flight. Males are highly frugivorous, with over 90% of their diet being fruit. [7] Females increase the proportion of arthropods in their diet during the breeding season. [8] A large proportion of their diet consists of small berries produced by plants in the Melastomataceae. [9] Manakins forage alone or sometime forms loose groups in its breeding areas (particularly bands of young males), but is more solitary in the lowlands, although it may join tanagers and others in mixed-species feeding flocks.

Molt occurs on breeding grounds, initiated first in young males as early as July, followed by reproductive-aged (i.e. 4th year or older) males, and then females. At the population-level, it can be relatively protracted, lasting through to October. In altitudinal migrant populations, downhill movements occur during or immediately following heavy, multi-day rainstorms starting as early as July, and continuing through the latter half of the year. [10] Once birds reach lower-elevation non-breeding areas, they remain there until uphill migration in February. Males are more likely to migrate than females. [1]

Status

One study in Costa Rica found that the white-ruffed manakin appears to have maintained substantial genetic connectivity despite habitat fragmentation. This suggests that manakins may have no trouble dispersing across non-forest habitat patches. [11]

This bird has a very wide range, is fairly common and is presumed to have a large total population. The population trend is thought to be stable and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated the bird's conservation status as being of "least concern". [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manakin</span> Family of South American birds

The manakins are a family, Pipridae, of small suboscine passerine birds. The group contains 55 species distributed through the American tropics. The name is from Middle Dutch mannekijn "little man".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruff (bird)</span> Species of bird

The ruff is a medium-sized wading bird that breeds in marshes and wet meadows across northern Eurasia. This highly gregarious sandpiper is migratory and sometimes forms huge flocks in its winter grounds, which include southern and western Europe, Africa, southern Asia and Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-and-white warbler</span> Species of New World warbler

The black-and-white warbler is a species of New World warbler, and the only member of its genus, Mniotilta. It breeds in northern and eastern North America and winters in Florida, Central America, and the West Indies down to Peru. This species is a very rare vagrant to western Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-throated blue warbler</span> Species of bird

The black-throated blue warbler is a small passerine bird of the New World warbler family. Its breeding ranges are located in the interior of deciduous and mixed coniferous forests in eastern North America. Over the cooler months, it migrates to islands in the Caribbean and Central America. It is very rarely found in western Europe, where it is considered to be a non-indigenous species. The black-throated blue warbler is sexually dimorphic; the adult male has a black face and cheeks, deep blue upperparts and white underparts, while the adult female is olive-brown above and light yellow below.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue-backed manakin</span> Species of bird

The blue-backed manakin is a small passerine bird which breeds in tropical South America, its range extending from Colombia and Tobago to southeastern Brazil. It is found in deciduous forests but not evergreen rainforests. It is a small, plump bird about 13 centimetres (5 in) long. Males have black plumage with a bright blue back and a red or yellow crown. Females and juveniles are olive-green with paler underparts. At breeding time, males are involved in a cooperative lekking behaviour during which they jump and twirl. This is a fairly common species with a wide range, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lance-tailed manakin</span> Species of bird

The lance-tailed manakin is a small passerine bird which breeds in tropical Central and South America from Costa Rica to northern Venezuela. This manakin is a fairly common bird of dry and moist deciduous forests, but not rainforest. It is a small, compact bird about 13 centimetres (5 in) long and similar to the blue-backed manakin, but both sexes have the two central tail feathers elongated to form a spike. Males have black plumage with a blue back, a red crown and orange legs. Females and juveniles are olive-green with paler underparts. At breeding time, males are involved in a cooperative behaviour during which they jump up and down alternately. This is a fairly common species with a wide range, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-bearded manakin</span> Species of bird

The white-bearded manakin is a small passerine bird which breeds in tropical South America. It can be found in Colombia, Venezuela and Trinidad south to Bolivia and northern Argentina. This manakin is found in forests, secondary growth and plantations. It is a small, plump bird about 10.7 centimetres (4.2 in) long. Males have a black crown, upper back, wings and tail and are otherwise white. Females are olive-green and resemble female golden-headed manakins. At breeding time, males are involved in lekking behaviour on the forest floor during which they puff out their neck feathers. This is a fairly common species with a wide range, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden-headed manakin</span> Species of bird

The golden-headed manakin is a small passerine bird which breeds in tropical Central and South America in both wet and dry forests, secondary growth and plantations. It is a small manakin, about 9.4 centimetres (3.7 in) long. Males are entirely black apart from a golden head, yellow bill, white and red thighs and pink legs. Females and juveniles are olive-green with pink legs. At breeding time, males are involved in a cooperative lekking behaviour during which they jump, slide and dart from perch to perch. This is a fairly common species with a wide range, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-collared manakin</span> Species of bird

The white-collared manakin is a passerine bird in the manakin family. It is a resident breeder in the tropical New World from southeastern Mexico to Costa Rica and the extreme west of Panama. It typically inhabits thickets at the edges of moist forest, tall secondary growth and old cacao plantations. It is a small, plump bird about 11 centimetres (4.3 in) long. Males have a black crown, mid-back band, wings and tail, an olive-green rump and yellow belly. Females and juveniles are olive-green with yellow bellies and resemble female orange-collared manakins. At breeding time, males are involved in lekking behaviour on the forest floor during which they puff out their neck feathers. This is a fairly common species with a wide range, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange-collared manakin</span> Species of bird

The orange-collared manakin is a passerine bird in the manakin family. It is an endemic resident breeder in Costa Rica and western Panama, where it is found in forests, secondary growth and plantations. It is a small, plump bird about 10 centimetres (4 in) long. Males have a black crown, mid back, wings and tail and an olive-green rump. The rest of the head, neck, breast and upper back are orange, and the belly is yellow. Females are olive-green with yellow underparts and resemble female white-collared manakins. At breeding time, males are involved in lekking behaviour on the forest floor. This is a fairly common species with a somewhat restricted range, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-crowned manakin</span> Species of bird

The white-crowned manakin is a small passerine bird in the manakin family Pipridae. This common and extremely widespread manakin is one of the most easily identified, even in female plumage. It is a resident breeder in the tropical New World from Costa Rica to northeastern Peru and eastern Brazil. It was traditionally placed in the genus Pipra, but is now placed in its own monotypic genus Pseudopipra. It is a small, compact bird about 10 cm (3.9 in) long. Males have black plumage with a white crown which can be erected as a crest, the only member of the Pipridae to possess both an all-black body and a gleaming white crown. Females and juveniles are olive-green, with a grey head and throat, and greyish-green or olive underparts. At breeding time, males are involved in a lekking behaviour. This is a fairly common species with a wide range, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue-throated goldentail</span> Species of bird

The blue-throated goldentail, also known as the blue-throated sapphire, is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is found in Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and heavily degraded former forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sapphire-throated hummingbird</span> Species of bird

The sapphire-throated hummingbird is a shiny metallic-green hummingbird found in Panama, Colombia, and more recently Costa Rica. The sapphire-throated hummingbird is separated into three subspecies; Chrysuronia coeruleogularis coeruleogularis, Chrysuronia coeruleogularis coelina, and Chrysuronia coeruleogularis conifis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helmeted manakin</span> Species of bird

The helmeted manakin is a species of small passerine bird in the manakin family Pipridae. Unlike most manakins, a family associated with tropical rainforests, the helmeted manakin inhabits the seasonally dry Cerrado savanna of Central Brazil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long-tailed manakin</span> Species of bird

The long-tailed manakin is a species of bird in the family Pipridae native to Central America where it inhabits both wet and dry tropical and subtropical forests. It is a small, plump bird about 10 centimetres (4 in) long. Males have black plumage with a blue back and a red crown, and the two central tail feathers are greatly elongated. Females and juveniles are olive-green with paler underparts. At breeding time, males are involved in a cooperative lekking behaviour with a complex coordinated courtship dance. This is a fairly common species with a wide range, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".

<i>Corapipo</i> Genus of birds

Corapipo is a genus of birds in the manakin family Pipridae that are found in Central America and northern parts of South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-bibbed manakin</span> Species of bird

The white-bibbed manakin is a species of bird in the family Pipridae. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-throated euphonia</span> Species of songbird

The yellow-throated euphonia is a species of songbird in the family Fringillidae. It is found in southeastern Mexico and throughout Central America with its range stretching from Belize south to western Panama. It inhabits primarily both humid and dry regions where it prefers the forest edge, open woodland, and shaded plantations. It has two subspecies, the nominate subspecies Euphonia hirundinaceahirundinacea and Euphonia hirundinacea gnatho. This finch is a small bird with pointed wings and a short bill and short tail. Males of this species have dark glossy blue-black upperparts excluding a yellow forecrown, and bright yellow underparts, while females have olive green upperparts and whitish-gray breast and lower parts. It has a shrill song that alternates between high-pitched and moderately pitched and appears to be able to mimic some calls of other birds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue-capped manakin</span> Species of bird

The blue-capped manakin is a species of bird in the family Pipridae. The males have a brilliant blue cap; some have black, others have green body plumage, but the relationship between the subspecies is not well understood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Altitudinal migration</span>

Altitudinal migration is a short-distance animal migration from lower altitudes to higher altitudes and back. Altitudinal migrants change their elevation with the seasons making this form of animal migration seasonal. Altitudinal migration can be most commonly observed in species inhabiting temperate or tropical ecosystems. This behavior is commonly seen among avian species but can also be observed within other vertebrates and some invertebrates. It is commonly thought to happen in response to climate and food availability changes as well as increasingly due to anthropogenic influence. These migrations can occur both during reproductive and non-reproductive seasons.

References

  1. 1 2 Boyle, W. Alice (2008). "Partial migration in birds: tests of three hypotheses in a tropical lekking frugivore". Journal of Animal Ecology. 77 (6): 1122–1128. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2008.01451.x . ISSN   1365-2656. PMID   18657208.
  2. Rosselli, Loreta (1994). "The annual cycle of the White-ruffed Manakin Corapipo leucorrhoa, a tropical frugivorous altitudinal migrant, and its food plants". Bird Conservation International. 4 (2–3): 143–160. doi: 10.1017/S0959270900002732 . ISSN   1474-0001.
  3. 1 2 3 Jones, Megan A.; DuVal, Emily H.; Boyle, W. Alice (2014). "Individual and temporal variability in the courtship behavior of White-ruffed Manakins (Corapipo altera), a species with facultative cooperative displays". The Auk. 131 (4): 727–742. doi: 10.1642/AUK-14-96.1 . ISSN   0004-8038. S2CID   11927382.
  4. Rosselli, Loreta; Vasquez, Pilar; Ayub, Ingrid (2002). "The Courtship Displays and Social System of the White-Ruffed Manakin in Costa Rica". The Wilson Journal of Ornithology. 114 (2): 165–178. doi:10.1676/0043-5643(2002)114[0165:TCDASS]2.0.CO;2. ISSN   1559-4491. S2CID   85603912.
  5. Boyle, W.A.; Guglielmo, C.G.; Hobson, K.A.; Norris, D.R. "Clip showing an alpha-beta pair of adult males displaying together at a single lek". YouTube (uploader Royal Society). Archived from the original on 2013-04-25. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  6. Boyle, W.A.; Guglielmo, C.G.; Hobson, K.A.; Norris, D.R. "Clip showing the final sequence of events leading up to copulation". YouTube (uploader Royal Society). Archived from the original on 2013-04-25. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  7. Boyle, W. Alice (2011). "Short-distance partial migration of Neotropical birds: a community-level test of the foraging limitation hypothesis". Oikos. 120 (12): 1803–1816. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0706.2011.19432.x. ISSN   1600-0706.
  8. Boyle, W. A. (2010-02-01). "Does food abundance explain altitudinal migration in a tropical frugivorous bird?". Canadian Journal of Zoology. 88 (2): 204–213. doi:10.1139/Z09-133. ISSN   0008-4301.
  9. Boyle, W. Alice; Conway, Courtney J.; Bronstein, Judith L. (2011). "Why do some, but not all, tropical birds migrate? A comparative study of diet breadth and fruit preference". Evolutionary Ecology. 25 (1): 219–236. doi:10.1007/s10682-010-9403-4. ISSN   1573-8477. S2CID   7516649.
  10. Boyle W. Alice; Norris D. Ryan; Guglielmo Christopher G. (2010). "Storms drive altitudinal migration in a tropical bird". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 277 (1693): 2511–2519. doi:10.1098/rspb.2010.0344. PMC   2894928 . PMID   20375047.
  11. Barnett, Jacob R.; Ruiz-Gutierrez, Viviana; Coulon, Aurélie; Lovette, Irby J. (2008). "Weak genetic structuring indicates ongoing gene flow across White-ruffed Manakin (Corapipo altera) populations in a highly fragmented Costa Rica landscape". Conservation Genetics. 9 (6): 1403–1412. doi:10.1007/s10592-007-9463-3. S2CID   376061.
  12. BirdLife International (2012). "Corapipo altera". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.

Further reading