Ceratopipra cornuta
The Scarlet-horned Manakin (Ceratopipra cornuta) is a striking passerine bird of the Pipridae family, renowned for the male's spectacular courtship displays and vivid plumage. Males are distinguished by their glossy black body contrasting sharply with brilliant scarlet crown tufts that resemble horns, along with a pale iris, measuring approximately 13-14 cm (5.1-5.5 inches) in length and weighing around 15-20 grams. Females, in contrast, are cryptically colored, displaying a dull olive-green ...
This manakin primarily inhabits humid tropical and subtropical lowland forests, favoring the understory and mid-story of evergreen and semi-deciduous woodlands. It is typically found at elevations ranging from sea level up to approximately 1000 meters, occasionally reaching 1300-1400 meters in mo...
Their diet consists predominantly of small, soft-skinned fruits, especially berries, which they pluck while perched or in short, acrobatic flights. They also supplement their diet with small insects caught via flycatching.
Scarlet-horned Manakins are diurnal, spending their days foraging and, for males, engaging in elaborate courtship displays. Males are polygynous and gather at traditional leks, which are specific clearings on the forest floor, to perform intricate 'moonwalks', rapid wing-snapping, leaps, and glid...
The Scarlet-horned Manakin is endemic to the Guiana Shield region of northern South America, maintaining a year-round resident distribution within its range. Its primary breeding and non-breeding range spans southern Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and a portion of northern Brazil, pa...
Least Concern
- The male Scarlet-horned Manakin's 'horns' are not true horns but rather highly modified, elongated crown feathers that can be erected during courtship displays. - Males perform an iconic 'moonwalk' display, slowly shuffling backward across a branch, a feat of avian motor control unique to manak...