The natural world is home to an array of incredible birds, each with their own unique traits and vibrant colors. However, many are unaware of the surprising diversity of bird species that exist worldwide. Allow me to introduce you to one such species – the golden-collared manakin.

The Golden-collared Manakin (Manacus Vitellinus) is a small bird with a stout body and a short tail, featuring broad and rounded wings, a large head, and reddish-orange legs. The male sports a vibrant golden-yellow collar and throat, with long and stiff feathers, while the rest of its body is mostly black, with olive-colored areas on the center of its back, rump, and lower underparts. On the other hand, the female has a dull olive-green color on its upper body, gradually turning paler and more yellowish on its lower parts. Interestingly, this species has heavily modified wing feathers that produce snapping and buzzing sounds.

This article discusses the characteristics and behavior of the Golden-collared manakin, a small bird measuring approximately 4-4.3 inches in length (10-11 cm). The male weighs around 0.68 ounces (19.3 gr), while the female weighs around 0.6 ounces (17 gr). Male Golden-collared manakins create display areas by clearing leaf litter from the ground, which they use as courts to court females. During courtship, the male performs a dance to attract female attention. Their diet consists of fruit and insects, which they pluck from the foliage while in flight and feed low in the trees.

Male mahaкиs are skilled at displaying their vibrant colors to attract potential mates and deter predators. Their unique form of dance involves a moonwalk-like glide on branches while using their feathers and flapping wings to create buzzing and humming sounds. However, the male mahaкиs also perform an actual moonwalk, moving backwards on the branch.

Male birds of this species create a range of different sounds. They have elongated feathers that resemble a beard under their throat, which they can bunch together like a pointing finger that runs parallel to their beak. These birds often dart between branches while making a snapping sound that is similar to a firecracker, created by flapping their wings. Additionally, they are capable of producing a softer sound that resembles either “chee-poo” or “pee-yoo.”

Male members of this particular species engage in a unique ritual where they show off their pear-shaped bodies to one another. They do this in an open space in the forest, with one or two thin trees serving as their perches for their displays. When a female member chooses her mate, she creates a small, shallow nest close to the ground. The nest is crafted using fibrous vegetation and animal hairs.

After mating, the female takes care of the eggs alone. The eggs are usually marked with dark colors such as dense brown to camouflage them and resemble dead leaves. The females incubate the eggs for around 14 to 24 days, and then feed the newborns a mixture of regurgitated fruit and seeds for ten days or more until they can fly on their own.

It is common for young creatures to shadow their mother’s every move for a period of one month or longer before they gain independence. This particular species can be found thriving in the wet lowland forests of Colombia, Costa Rica, and Panama. It has even learned to adapt to second-growth forests and areas that have been disturbed by human activity. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has labeled this animal as having the least concern on their Red List.