The scarlet-horned manakin is a species of bird in the family Pipridae. It is found in Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela.
Region
Guiana Shield
Typical Environment
Occurs on tepui slopes and adjacent montane forests in southeastern Venezuela, western Guyana, and northern Brazil (Roraima). It favors subtropical to tropical moist montane forest, especially mature understory and edges with dense vine tangles. Often near forested streams and steep ravines where fruiting shrubs are abundant. It is patchy, tracking suitable tepui forest fragments rather than continuous lowlands.
Altitude Range
600–1600 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This striking manakin inhabits the tepui highlands of the Guiana Shield, where males display a vivid scarlet, horn-like tuft above the bill. Like many manakins, it performs elaborate display behaviors, including rapid wing snaps and short flights, to attract females. It plays a role in seed dispersal by swallowing small fruits and passing the seeds intact.
Temperament
secretive and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Males display at traditional sites, performing short hops and rapid wing snaps to court females; they do not provide parental care. Females build small cup nests low in the understory and raise the young alone. Outside the breeding season, birds are usually solitary or in loose associations within the understory.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are thin, high-pitched whistles interspersed with mechanical wing snaps during displays. Calls are brief and carry through dense understory, aiding contact in dim montane forests.
Plumage
Male with glossy black body contrasting with a bright scarlet crown and an erectile, horn-like tuft of red feathers on the forehead; compact, smooth plumage. Female is olive-green above with paler underparts, lacking the horn and overall black coloration.
Diet
Primarily small fruits and berries from understory shrubs and trees, which are swallowed whole. Supplements diet with small arthropods gleaned from foliage or taken in short sallies. Acts as a seed disperser for various montane plants and often follows fruiting events.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in the mid- to lower understory, especially along forest edges, vine tangles, and near fruiting shrubs. Frequently forages quietly in shaded ravines and along stream corridors.
