So Tiny Yet So Striking Wearing His Multi-hued, Technicolor Jigsaw Of Iridescent Green, Purple, Black, And Red!
Despite being so tiny he is nonetheless very striking with his bright red forehead and equally bright speed stripe running down his back.
The pin-tailed manakin (Ilicura militaris) measures only 12.5 cm (4.9 in) in length. Adult males are highly distinctive with their uniquely pigmented red fore-crown and rump. They have black wings with green secondary feathers, and underneath is a white chest that runs all the way from the rump up the throat directly under the bill. They have a forked tail, brown-black legs, and yellow-orange eyes.
Females are mostly olive green except for a grey neck and auriculars, and a cream-colored chest.
Pin-tailed manakin lives in the humid Atlantic Forest which extends from the state of Bahia to the state of Rio Grande Do Sul.
The Pin-tailed manakin is thought to be a primarily frugivorous bird, but it has been recorded consuming small amounts of insects from time to time.
During the breeding season, the male establishes a display area of 20 to 30 meters, called a lek, where he puts on a show for any potential mate. Within the lek is a mating perch which is around 3.3 to 20 meters above the ground. The female is drawn to the leg by his frequent “see” calls.
Once a female is in the area the male will draw her to his mating perch and jump back and forth over her, sometimes making a snapping noise in the air, and fluffing out the vibrant red rump with his chin down when he lands facing her.