Wire-Tailed Manakin
The male wire-tailed manakin has an interesting color combination. Its plumage, or feathering, is black with patches of red, orange, yellow, blue, and white. The female wire-tailed manakin is olive-green. The adult wire-tailed manakin grows to a length of 3 1/2 to 7 1/2 inches (9 to 19 centimeters) and a weight of 2/3 to 3/4 of an ounce (10 to 25 grams). The wire-tailed manakin has a short, dull bill and large head.
The wire-tailed manakin inhabits the tropical forest. Here it feeds on small fruit and insects which it finds along the forest floor. The wire-tailed manakin often feeds with other members of its species. The male and female wire-tailed manakin do not form a pair outside of the breeding season.
The courtship ritual of the wire-tailed manakin is interesting. Two males sit side by side on a perch or branch. The dominant or stronger of the two males begins his song less than a second before the song of the other male. To the human ear, the song sounds as though it is coming from one bird, but the female knows she is being courted by two males. When the female approaches the two males, they immediately fly down to a lower perch giving her a better look at them. They begin jumping up and down in a see-saw manner. When one jumps up, the other remains down. During the male jump, the male lets out a nasal sounding call and the female may begin to approach the perch. The two males then begin a new series of jumps. The male nearest the female jumps from the perch, moves back in the air and lands behind the second male. The second male moves forward, jumps in the air, flutters for a few seconds and lands behind the first male. This movement is called the "Catherine Wheel" as the males form a wheel-like motion in front of the female.
As the "Catherine Wheel" continues, the movements of the males become more rapid and their calls more excited. This continues until the stronger of the two males lets out two very sharp cries and the weaker male flies off. The stronger male now has the complete attention of the female. He flies back and forth over the perch, pausing to display his feathering. He may fly to a nearby perch, pause for a few seconds and then, with a quick flutter of his wings, return to the display perch. If the female is there waiting for him then the two mate.
After mating, the female lays two eggs. The eggs are white or buff with brown or blackish markings. She incubates the eggs for 17 to 21 days. During this time, the female sits on the eggs and uses the heat from her body to warm them. After hatching, the young enter a two-week nestling period. During this time, their flight feathers develop and they depend on their mother for food and protection.
The voice of the wire-tailed manakin is described as a mixture of sharp whistles, trills, and buzzing notes. The bird does not have a song as do other birds. Some species make loud machine-like sounds with their wing feathers.
Source: Encyclopedia of Animals
The wire-tailed manakin inhabits the tropical forest. Here it feeds on small fruit and insects which it finds along the forest floor. The wire-tailed manakin often feeds with other members of its species. The male and female wire-tailed manakin do not form a pair outside of the breeding season.
The courtship ritual of the wire-tailed manakin is interesting. Two males sit side by side on a perch or branch. The dominant or stronger of the two males begins his song less than a second before the song of the other male. To the human ear, the song sounds as though it is coming from one bird, but the female knows she is being courted by two males. When the female approaches the two males, they immediately fly down to a lower perch giving her a better look at them. They begin jumping up and down in a see-saw manner. When one jumps up, the other remains down. During the male jump, the male lets out a nasal sounding call and the female may begin to approach the perch. The two males then begin a new series of jumps. The male nearest the female jumps from the perch, moves back in the air and lands behind the second male. The second male moves forward, jumps in the air, flutters for a few seconds and lands behind the first male. This movement is called the "Catherine Wheel" as the males form a wheel-like motion in front of the female.
As the "Catherine Wheel" continues, the movements of the males become more rapid and their calls more excited. This continues until the stronger of the two males lets out two very sharp cries and the weaker male flies off. The stronger male now has the complete attention of the female. He flies back and forth over the perch, pausing to display his feathering. He may fly to a nearby perch, pause for a few seconds and then, with a quick flutter of his wings, return to the display perch. If the female is there waiting for him then the two mate.
After mating, the female lays two eggs. The eggs are white or buff with brown or blackish markings. She incubates the eggs for 17 to 21 days. During this time, the female sits on the eggs and uses the heat from her body to warm them. After hatching, the young enter a two-week nestling period. During this time, their flight feathers develop and they depend on their mother for food and protection.
The voice of the wire-tailed manakin is described as a mixture of sharp whistles, trills, and buzzing notes. The bird does not have a song as do other birds. Some species make loud machine-like sounds with their wing feathers.
Source: Encyclopedia of Animals
posted by James at 12:57 PM
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