The sulphur-bellied tyrant-manakin is a species of bird in the family Pipridae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil and Peru.
Region
Southwestern Amazonia
Typical Environment
Occurs in lowland tropical rainforest of Bolivia, western Brazil (Acre and adjacent Amazonas), and southeastern Peru. Favors terra firme and seasonally flooded (várzea) forests, especially where bamboo thickets are present. Typically keeps to the shaded understory and lower midstory layers. It can use forest edges and old second-growth if understory structure remains dense.
Altitude Range
100–900 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Despite the name, this manakin is a rather drab, bamboo-loving understory bird with a conspicuously yellow belly. It belongs to the manakin family (Pipridae) but resembles small flycatchers in posture and behavior, hence 'tyrant-manakin.' It is most easily detected by its thin, high-pitched calls rather than by sight. Often associated with Guadua bamboo patches in the southwestern Amazon.
Temperament
shy and unobtrusive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs, sometimes loosely associating with mixed-species understory flocks. Males call from low perches and perform modest display movements rather than elaborate leks typical of some manakins. Nests are small, cup-shaped, and placed low in dense understory vegetation. Both sexes remain close to cover and rarely venture into open spaces.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives thin, high-pitched whistles and short, sibilant notes that carry poorly through dense foliage. Vocalizations are simple and repetitive, often delivered from a concealed perch. Contact calls can sound insect-like.
Plumage
Olive to olive-brown upperparts with a contrasting sulphur-yellow belly and vent; throat and breast more dusky-olive, grading to bright yellow below. Wings and tail are dusky with faint pale edging. Overall appearance is plain and compact with a short, broad-based bill.
Diet
Feeds primarily on small fruits and berries, swallowing them whole and later dispersing seeds. Supplements diet with small arthropods gleaned from leaves and twigs or snapped up in short sallies. Foraging is deliberate and low to mid understory, rarely above the mid-canopy. Seasonal fruit abundance influences movement within home ranges.
Preferred Environment
Forages in dense understory of terra firme and bamboo-dominated forest, especially along forest edges, treefall gaps, and shady thickets. Often works along bamboo stems and tangles where fruiting shrubs are common. Will join mixed flocks to exploit disturbed patches and gaps.
