Masius chrysopterus
The Golden-winged Manakin (Masius chrysopterus) is a captivating small passerine bird, endemic to the humid montane forests of the northern Andes. Males are strikingly dimorphic, boasting a velvety black plumage contrasted by a brilliant, fiery golden-yellow crown and a prominent golden-yellow patch on their secondary flight feathers, creating a stunning visual display. Females, in contrast, are an understated olive-green above with a paler, sometimes yellowish-green, belly, offering excellen...
Found primarily in humid montane evergreen forests, cloud forests, and their borders, typically at elevations ranging from 1,000 to 2,500 meters.
Their diet consists mainly of small, ripe fruits, particularly berries from shrubs and trees, supplemented with small insects suchets and beetles, which they capture during short sallies.
Golden-winged Manakins are diurnal and highly active birds, spending their days foraging in the understory and mid-story of their forest habitat. Males are famous for their elaborate lekking behavior, gathering at traditional display sites where they perform complex aerial maneuvers, rapid wing s...
The Golden-winged Manakin is resident throughout the humid montane forests of the northern Andes, spanning a significant geographic distribution across several South American countries. Its range extends from the Andes of western Venezuela, through all three cordilleras of Colombia, down the west...
Least Concern
- The Golden-winged Manakin is the only species in its genus, *Masius*, making it a 'monotypic' genus. - Males possess highly modified secondary flight feathers that produce mechanical 'snapping' or 'buzzing' sounds during their courtship displays. - Despite their small size, male manakins can pe...