Machaeropterus deliciosus
The Club-winged Manakin (Machaeropterus deliciosus) is a captivating neotropical songbird, renowned for its extraordinary ability to produce sound with its specialized wing feathers, a phenomenon known as sonation. Males are strikingly adorned with a brilliant red crown, jet-black face, wings, and tail, contrasting with a rich rufous-chestnut body, measuring approximately 10 cm (4 inches) in length and weighing 10-13 grams. Their most distinctive field mark, beyond the vivid plumage, lies in ...
This species primarily inhabits humid montane and submontane forests, including cloud forests, and forest borders. They are typically found at elevations ranging from 600 to 2,000 meters above sea level, sometimes venturing lower or higher.
Their diet consists primarily of small, soft fruits, particularly berries from various understory shrubs, and small insects. They forage by gleaning insects from foliage or hovering to pluck fruits.
Club-winged Manakins are diurnal birds, spending their days foraging and displaying, and typically roost solitarily or in small groups among dense foliage. Males engage in a polygynous lek breeding system, where they gather at traditional display sites to attract females. Their courtship is domin...
The Club-winged Manakin is a resident species, found exclusively in the Andean foothills and lower montane forests of northwestern South America. Its primary range extends from the western and central Andes of Colombia, south through the western slopes of Ecuador, and into the extreme northwester...
Least Concern
- The male Club-winged Manakin 'sings' by rubbing its specialized wing feathers together at speeds up to 100 times per second, producing a sound akin to a violin or a buzzing insect. - Its scientific name, Machaeropterus, means 'sabre wing,' referring to the modified, thickened shafts of its seco...