| Chiroxiphia | |
|---|---|
_02.jpg) | |
| Blue-backed manakin (Chiroxiphia pareola) | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Pipridae |
| Genus: | Chiroxiphia Cabanis, 1847 |
| Type species | |
| Pipra caudata[1] Shaw, 1793 | |
| Species | |
Chiroxiphia is one of severalgenera ofmanakins, small song birds ofSouth andCentral America.
The maleplumage is a striking combination of black and bright blue. The crown is red, except in the yellow-crownedC. pareola regina. Females are comparably dull olive-greenish overall. Juveniles of both sexes resemble the adult female. As the male plumage takes several years to complete, individuals showing a level of intermediacy between full adult male and female-like juveniles are commonly seen (in particular female-plumaged birds with red, or yellow inC. pareola regina, crowns).
Manakins of the genusChiroxiphia have an unusualmating system, based on femalemate choice. In order to mate successfully, males have to form partnerships with another male. The two males co-operate in an elaborate courtship dance, and sing a jointsong (called aduet) at one of many traditionally fixed mating sites; the area where mating takes place can be described as an explodedlek. In some species such as theblue manakin, these partnerships typically consist of three males. Females attend a number of these courtship sites, observing the male displays and eventually allow a male at one of the sites to mate.
The males can typically be designated alpha and beta, since there is a cleardominance relationship between them. There is only ever one alpha male, but, depending on species, there may be one or two beta males. Beta males are sometimes sub-adults - easily recognized, as their plumage retain female-like characters. Only the alpha male is ever seen to mate with the female.
As in other manakins, males play no part in the care of the young.
Another genus,Antilophia was introduced in 1850 by the German naturalistLudwig Reichenbach to accommodate thehelmeted manakin.[2][3] The genus name combines theAncient Greekantios meaning "different" withlophoeis meaning "crested".[4] Until the discovery of theAraripe manakin, the helmeted manakin was the only known member of the genusAntilophia.[5] In the taxonomic revision to create monotypic genera, all two species ofAntilophia was reclassified toChiroxiphia.[6] They are the only two species of manakin with dichromatic (two-coloured) male plumage.[7]
The genus contains the following seven species:[6]
| Image | Scientific name | Common Name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | Chiroxiphia galeata | Helmeted manakin | Brazil; also northeast Paraguay, and a border region of northeast Bolivia |
.jpg) | Chiroxiphia bokermanni | Araripe manakin | Brazil |
.jpg) | Chiroxiphia lanceolata | Lance-tailed manakin | from Costa Rica to northern Venezuela. |
.jpg) | Chiroxiphia linearis | Long-tailed manakin | Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua |
| Chiroxiphia pareola | Blue-backed manakin | southern Colombia, eastern Venezuela, the Guyanas, northeast Brazil, the Amazon Basin in Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru; and in Tobago. |
.jpg) | Chiroxiphia boliviana | Yungas manakin | Yungas of southeastern Peru and Bolivia. |
 | Chiroxiphia caudata | Blue manakin | south-eastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay and far north-eastern Argentina. |
