MANAKINS   -   PIPRIDAE

Pale-bellied Tyrant-Manakin Neopelma pallescens São José da Serra, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. A dull manakin of dry woodland in eastern South America. The buffy eyering is a more obvious feature than most field guides make out. (S5f)

Pale-bellied Tyrant-Manakin Neopelma pallescens São José da Serra, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. A bizarre shot as I got it just as it was taking off, and the flash managed to freeze the bird. (S5f)

Pin-tailed Manakin Ilicura militaris Reserva Ecologica de Guapi Assu, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. Male. One of the most handome birds of the Atlantic Forest region! It is endemic to SE Brazil, though it is quite common. (S5f)

Golden-winged Manakin Masius chrysopterus coronulatus End of the Milpe road, Pichincha province, Ecuador. Male. The golden wings are usually almost completely hidden when the bird is at rest. In this shot a tiny bit shows through on his right wing. When he takes flights, as in the photo to the right, the the bright flash can be quite a shock. (S5f)		Golden-winged Manakin Masius chrysopterus coronulatus

White-ruffed Manakin Corapipo altera altera Cerro Azul, Panama province, Panama. Female. Not much to distinguish her, but the black bill & legs and the yellow belly separates from other similar species occurring there. (S2f)

Club-winged Manakin Machaeropterus deliciosus Milpe Bird Sanctuary, Pichincha province, Ecuador. Male, caught in the middle of his unique display. This is one of the coolest birds in the world. No other bird is known to create pure tones with its feathers. Click here for an excellent New York Times article about how they do it. (S5f)		Club-winged Manakin Machaeropterus deliciosus Milpe Bird Sanctuary, Pichincha province, Ecuador. Male. The same guy taking a breather. (S5f)

(Western) Striped Manakin Machaeropterus regulus antioquiae Reserva El Paujil, Santander department, Colombia. Male. SACC hasn't split these two yet, but the evidence is pretty strong: They look different, they sound different, and they are separated by several thousand kilometers! (D3)		(Eastern) Striped Manakin Machaeropterus regulus regulus Reserve Ecologica de Guapi Assu, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. Male. The plumage differences are obvious in these photos, and click here if you want to hear the vocal differences. (D3)

Blue-crowned Manakin Lepidothrix coronata velutina Carara NP, Puntarenas province, Costa Rica. Male. (D3)		Golden-collared Manakin Manacus vitellinus vitellinus Soberania NP, Panama province, Panama. Male. (S2f)

White-bearded Manakin Manacus manacus gutturosus Reserva Ecologica de Guapi Assu, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. Male. A common and widespread manakin in South America, found in most wet tropical forests. (S5)		White-bearded Manakin Manacus manacus gutturosus RPPN Frei Caneca, Pernambuco state, Brazil. Female. (S6)

Araripe Manakin Antilophia bokermanni Arajara Park, Ceará state, Brazil. Male. One of the most amazing discoveries of recent years. Words cannot describe how cool this bird is - if you ever get a chance to see it, go for it! (D3)

Helmeted Manakin Antilophia galeata Serra do Cipó NP, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Male. Obviously a close relative of the previous, and still a pretty neat bird. Unlike the other, this is a very widespread species in drier tropical areas of South America. (S5f)

Helmeted Manakin Antilophia galeata São José da Serra, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Female. (S5f)

Lance-tailed Manakin Chiroxiphia lanceolata Cotumbo road, Aragua state, Venezuela. Male. All members of this genus have very similar plumage, but the elaborate breeding displays by teams of males are one of the most fascinating spectacles a neotropical birder can hope to see. (D3)		Swallow-tailed (Blue) Manakin Chiroxiphia caudata Balbina Forest, Bandeira, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Male. The close affinity of these two species is pretty obvious in these photos. (D3)

Flame-crowned Manakin Heterocercus linteatus Cristalino Jungle Lodge, Mato Grosso state, Brazil. Male. Sometimes called Flame-crested Manakin. A distinctive manakin found in várzea forest south of the Amazon, mainly in Brazil. (S6)

White-crowned Manakin Pipra pipra pipra Imitaca Forest (Rio Grande), Bolívar state, Venezuela. Male. The archetypical manakin, Pipra^3. (D3)

Crimson-hooded Manakin Pipra aureola aureola Caño Colorado, Monagas state, Venezuela. Male. What a beautiful bird. He sat in the open for not much more than five seconds, but it was enough. (D3)

Wire-tailed Manakin Pipra filicauda filicauda Sacha Lodge, Orellana province, Ecuador. (D3)

Band-tailed Manakin Pipra fasciicauda scarlatina Chapada dos Guimarães, Mato Gross state, Brazil. Male. Unlike other members of the genus, this species occurs in fairly dry forest as well as humid forest. Both of the birds shown here were found in semi-humid forest. (D3)

Band-tailed Manakin Pipra fasciicauda scarlatina Serra de Baturité, Ceará state, Brazil. Female. An isolated population, but thought to be the same subspecies as the male in the previous photo. (D3)

Scarlet-horned Manakin Pipra cornuta Sierra de Lema (La Escalera), Bolívar state, Venezuela. Male. A tepui endemic. (D3)

Red-capped Manakin Pipra mentalis ignifera Soberania NP, Panama. Male. (S2f)

Red-capped Manakin Pipra mentalis ignifera Soberania NP, Panama. Male. Same bird as in the previous photo, this time showing the yellow wing linings. (S2f)

Red-capped Manakin Pipra mentalis mentalis Las Guacamayas, Chiapas state, Mexico. Male. (S5)

Golden-headed Manakin Pipra erythrocephala berlepschi Sacha Lodge, Orellana province, Ecuador. Male. (D2)

Red-headed Manakin Pipra rubrocapilla Reserva Natural Palmarí, Amazonas state, Brazil. Two males displaying side by side. (D3)

Black-capped Piprites Piprites pileata Algulhas Negras road, Itatiaia NP, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. Male. A very strange genus that has taxonomists scratching their heads. SACC removed it from the manakins and put it in the category incertae sedis (uncertain placement), though I'm keeping it in it's "traditional" place. This shot shows the white speculum clearly, indicating that it's a male. The female lacks this feature, but has faint wingbars. (D2)

Wing-barred Piprites Piprites chloris chloris Reserva Volta Velha, Itapoá, Santa Catarina state, Brazil. Much more widespread than the other Piprites, this species occurs from Northern Colombia through the Amazon basin, and in the southern part of the Atlantic Forest. (D4)

Thrush-like Schiffornis Schiffornis turdina rosenbergi End if the Milpe road, Pichincha province, Ecuador. A dull bird of uncertain affinities. For a long time it was put in with the Manakins, but more recently was included by the SACC in a new family, the Tityridae. I haven't yet added the Tityridae to antpitta.com, but will get around to it eventually. Note the huge eyes of this bird, which lurks in the dark understory of the rainforest. (S5f)

Website design and all photos copyright Nick Athanas
For questions, comments, or photograph licensing info, please email