The orange-bellied manakin, also known as the tepui manakin, is a species of bird in the family Pipridae. It is found in Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela.
Region
Guiana Highlands (tepui region)
Typical Environment
Occurs on tepui slopes and adjacent foothill forests in southeastern Venezuela, western Guyana, and northern Brazil (Roraima). It favors humid, mossy montane and cloud forests with dense understory and abundant fruiting shrubs. Often along forest edges, ravines, and near stream gullies where small fruits are plentiful. Patchy distribution mirrors the isolated nature of individual tepui massifs.
Altitude Range
600–1800 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the Tepui Manakin, this small piprid is confined to the Guiana Highlands’ table-top mountains. Males gather at small leks where they perform short, snappy displays and wing-snaps to attract females. Its bright orange belly contrasts with the dim, mossy understory of tepui forests, making brief views striking. Females handle all nesting and chick-rearing.
Temperament
secretive but active in the understory
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats between low perches
Social Behavior
Males display at small leks, defending tiny courts and performing short hops and wing-snaps to attract visiting females. The species is polygynous; males provide no parental care. Females build a small cup nest and rear the young alone.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are thin, high-pitched tinkling notes and soft whistles delivered from low to mid-level perches. Display includes audible snaps and buzzes from modified wing movements, often heard before the bird is seen.
Plumage
Compact manakin with short tail and broad, short bill; males show a vivid orange belly contrasting with darker upperparts, while females are olive-green with paler yellowish underparts. Plumage appears sleek with subtle gloss in males. Females are plainer with diffuse streaking or wash on the belly.
Diet
Primarily small fruits and berries from understory shrubs and low trees. Occasionally takes small arthropods, especially during breeding when protein needs rise. Forages methodically, sallying short distances to pluck fruit and returning to the same perch.
Preferred Environment
Dense, humid understory of montane and cloud forests on tepui slopes and adjacent foothills. Often near fruiting trees, forest edges, and along stream corridors where fruit availability is high.
