The round-tailed manakin is a species of bird in the family Pipridae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru.
Region
Southwestern Amazon Basin
Typical Environment
Found in humid lowland and foothill rainforests of Peru, northern Bolivia, and adjacent western Brazil (e.g., Acre and Rondônia). It favors terra firme and the lower to mid understory of mature forest, but also uses edges, vine tangles, and natural gaps with fruiting shrubs. Leks are typically situated in shaded understory with open display courts. It is generally local but can be fairly common where suitable forest persists.
Altitude Range
100–1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This small manakin is a lek-breeding species: males gather at traditional display sites to perform rapid hops, wing-snaps, and short flights to attract females. It inhabits humid forests of the southwestern Amazon Basin and is often detected by its sharp snaps and thin whistles rather than by sight. The species is sometimes confused with the Band-tailed Manakin, but it lacks the latter’s contrasting tail band and has a more uniformly rounded tail. By swallowing fruits whole, it plays an important role in seed dispersal.
Temperament
secretive and territorial at leks
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats between perches
Social Behavior
Males gather at small leks where each defends a tiny display court, performing hops, dashes, and wing-snaps to court visiting females. Females visit leks only to select a mate; they alone build the nest and rear the young. Nests are small cups placed low to mid-level in dense vegetation.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are thin, high-pitched whistles interspersed with sharp ticking notes. Males also produce distinctive mechanical snaps and buzzes with their wings during display.
Plumage
Male is velvet-black with a bright contrasting crown and a uniformly rounded tail; female is olive-green with paler underparts and a more diffuse, plain appearance. Both sexes have short, rounded wings suited to quick bursts in the understory.
Diet
Primarily small fruits and berries from understory shrubs and small trees, which are swallowed whole and later regurgitated or passed, aiding seed dispersal. It also occasionally takes small insects and other arthropods gleaned from foliage for protein, especially during breeding. Foraging is deliberate, with short sallies between nearby perches.
Preferred Environment
Feeds mostly in the shaded understory and lower midstory, often at fruiting shrubs along edges, gaps, and streamside thickets. Will join mixed-species flocks at fruiting trees when resources are abundant.
