Chiroxiphia bokermanni
The Araripe Manakin (Chiroxiphia bokermanni) is a truly striking and critically endangered passerine, renowned for its vivid sexual dimorphism and extremely restricted range. Males are unmistakable, featuring a gleaming white body, jet-black wings and tail, and a spectacular crimson crown that extends down the nape, contrasting sharply with their bright orange-red irises; they measure about 15 cm (5.9 in) in length and weigh around 19 g. Females are considerably less flashy, exhibiting a pred...
This manakin exclusively inhabits humid, semi-deciduous and evergreen forests, particularly gallery forest patches along springs and streams within the Chapada do Araripe plateau. It is found at elevations typically between 700 and 800 meters above sea level.
The primary diet consists of small, ripe fruits, particularly those from Melastomataceae plants, supplemented with a small number of insects. Foraging occurs by gleaning and quick aerial sallies within the forest understory and mid-canopy.
Araripe Manakins are diurnal birds, spending their day foraging and engaging in complex social interactions, often roosting discreetly within dense forest undergrowth. Their foraging strategy primarily involves gleaning ripe fruits from branches, often hovering briefly to pluck them, though they ...
The Araripe Manakin is a critically endangered, non-migratory resident species with an exceptionally restricted geographic distribution. Its entire known range is confined to a small area of the Chapada do Araripe plateau, situated at the border of Ceará and Pernambuco states in northeastern Braz...
Critically Endangered
- The Araripe Manakin was only scientifically described in 1998, making it one of the most recently discovered bird species in Brazil. - It is endemic to a single plateau, the Chapada do Araripe in northeastern Brazil, and is found nowhere else on Earth. - The male's brilliant red crown is so str...