Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law.
Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Material on this page was provided by Paul Smith, Sylvia Qu, Alberto Esquivel, Arne Lesterhuis and Myriam Velázquez and is used with their permission.
SWALLOW-TAILED MANAKIN Chiroxiphia caudata
Despite his gorgeous colouration, the gem-like male Swallow-tailed Manakin is surprisingly easily overlooked in the undergrowth of humid forest. Learn his whistling call however and he becomes easy to find, his bright red cap and shimmering blue back and underparts ample reward for the patient observer. To see him at his best you'll need to find a lek, a communal display ground where groups of males “dance” for females. Oddly males appear to co-operate at leks, assisting more qualified rivals in exchange for a better “dancing spot”, and hence improved future mating chances. Uniform green females are much harder to detect, their dull plumage ideal camouflage in the leafy foliage.
Click on the images to enlarge them.
FIGURE 1 - (FPAVE994PH) Adult male, PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Sylvia Qu June 2008).
FIGURE 2 - (FPAVE995PH) Adult male, PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Sylvia Qu May 2008).
FIGURE 3 - (FPAVE996PH) Adult male, location unknown (Arne Lesterhuis undated).
FIGURE 4 - (FPAVE997PH) Adult male, Hotel Tirol, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith June 2005).
FIGURE 5 - (FPAVE998PH) Same individual upperwing (Paul Smith June 2005).
FIGURE 6 - (FPAVE999PH) Adult female, Hotel Tirol, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith June 2005).
FIGURE 7 - (FPAVE1000PH) Same individual as (FPAVE999PH) upperwing (Paul Smith June 2005).
FIGURE 8 - (FPAVE1001PH) Immature male, PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Sylvia Qu May 2008).
VIDEO - (FPAVE1007VI) Adult male calling, PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Paul Smith October 2010).
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Chiroxiphia caudata
1 (FPAVE1002RE) Call recorded Estancia Kanguery, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith March 2007).
2 (FPAVE1003RE) Slow call recorded Estancia Kanguery, Departamento Itapúa (Alberto Esquivel November 2006).
3 (FPAVE1004RE) Chi-voo call recorded Mbaracayú Forest Reserve, Departamento Canindeyú (Paul Smith October 2008).
4 (FPAVE1005RE) Nasal and choo calls recorded Ocampos, PN San Rafael, Departamento Itapúa (Myriam Velázquez October 2001).
5 (FPAVE1006RE) Melodic calls recorded Santa Ines, PN San Rafael, Departamento Itapúa (Myriam Velázquez November 2001).
Click the links to hear the calls. Longer versions of this call can be downloaded from the Paraguay page of our partner website www.xeno-canto.com - the largest collection of freely downloadable Neotropical bird calls available online.