About the Blue-backed Manakin
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".
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
Like other manakins, the blue-backed manakin is a compact, brightly coloured forest bird, typically 13 cm long and weighing 19 g. The male is mainly black with a bright blue back, and pale orange legs. The crown is typically red, but yellow in C. pareola regina from the south-west Amazon. The female has olive-green upperparts, and somewhat paler olive underparts. Young males are olive, but show a red cap and the start of a blue back as they mature. The race endemic to Tobago, C. p. atlantica is larger and has more extensive red on the crown and blue on the back.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
What the Blue-backed Manakin sounds like
Where the Blue-backed Manakin lives
When to see the Blue-backed Manakin
Peak activity in November · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Yungas ManakinChiroxiphia bolivianaThe Yungas manakin is 12 to 13 cm (4.7 to 5.1 in) long and weighs about 14 to 22 g (0.49 to 0.78 oz).
Lance-tailed ManakinChiroxiphia lanceolataLike other manakins, the lance-tailed manakin is a compact, brightly coloured forest bird, typically 13.5 cm long and weighing 17.5 g.
Long-tailed ManakinChiroxiphia linearisLarge for a manakin, the long-tailed measures about 10 cm (3.9 in) long and weighs 18 g (0.63 oz).
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