Lance-tailed Manakin
Chiroxiphia lanceolata
The Lance-tailed Manakin (Chiroxiphia lanceolata) is a uncommon manakin found in 4 countries, weighing about 19 g. The lance-tailed manakin is a small passerine bird which breeds in tropical Central and South America from Costa Rica to northern Venezuela.
About the Lance-tailed Manakin
The lance-tailed manakin is a small passerine bird which breeds in tropical Central and South America from Costa Rica to northern Venezuela. This manakin is a fairly common bird of dry and moist deciduous forests, but not rainforest. It is a small, compact bird about 13 centimetres (5 in) long and similar to the blue-backed manakin, but both sexes have the two central tail feathers elongated to form a spike. Males have black plumage with a blue back, a red crown and orange legs. Females and juveniles are olive-green with paler underparts. At breeding time, males are involved in a cooperative behaviour during which they jump up and down alternately. This is a fairly common species with a…
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Like other manakins, the lance-tailed manakin is a compact, brightly coloured forest bird, typically 13.5 cm long and weighing 17.5 g. Both sexes have bring orange legs and two central tail feathers elongated to form a spike. Females are olive-green, with slightly paler underparts. Most females are solid green, however, a small portion have tawny or red caps. Adult males are mostly black, with a red cap and sky-blue back. Young males are olive but show a red cap and the start of a blue back as they mature.
What the Lance-tailed Manakin sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
The Lance-tailed Manakin can be seen all year round, with peak activity in March. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Watch the Lance-tailed Manakin on live cams
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Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Lance-tailed Manakin?
- Like other manakins, the lance-tailed manakin is a compact, brightly coloured forest bird, typically 13.5 cm long and weighing 17.5 g. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Lance-tailed Manakin?
- The Lance-tailed Manakin is a small sized bird weighing about 19 g.
- Where can you see a Lance-tailed Manakin?
- The Lance-tailed Manakin occurs in 4 countries, including Panama, Colombia, Venezuela and Costa Rica.
- What does a Lance-tailed Manakin sound like?
- You can listen to a field recording of the Lance-tailed Manakin on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Lance-tailed Manakin?
- The Lance-tailed Manakin is most easily confused with the Blue-backed Manakin, the Long-tailed Manakin and the Yungas Manakin.
- Is the Lance-tailed Manakin endangered?
- The Lance-tailed Manakin is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Lance-tailed Manakin for real
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