We ended last week with a little bird that had a guest spot on the popular BBC program, The Wild Side. Today, we are going to look at another bird that was featured on the hilarious BBC show, the Red-Capped Manakin – Thanks Jamie for tracking this animal down. Not sure which animal this was? Well, they are also known as the “Moonwalking Bird”and had a nice tribute to Michael Jackson in the aforementioned TV program. If you missed out on it the last time, here is our moonwalking bird again.
They are quite impressive to watch but let’s take a minute to learn a little more about this talented little bird.
The Artistic Male
The Red-Capped Manakin can be found throughout Central and South America dancing amongst the forests of Costa Rica, Belize, Ecuador, Mexico, Guatemala and other suitable locations. Spotting the male version of this species should be simpler than the locating the boring female. Yes, the male is once again much more colourful with their obvious red head, black body and yellow leg feathers. Meanwhile the female tends to be a typical greenish colour and lacks any artistic flair that their counterparts have.
The King of Dance
Speaking of artistic flair, let’s talk about the impressive dancing habits of the male Red-Capped Manakin. Once again, it is only the males that perform this dance so you can probably guess that it has to do with impressing the ladies. Personally, I don’t see how any female birds could not be impressed by their incredible moves. Believe it or not but the fascinating moonwalk you saw in the video above is just a portion of the males courtship dance. In fact, you won’t be able to see most of the dance without the help of technology. Why? Because they are moving so fast that our eyes literally can’t pick up their movements.
Faster Than a Hummingbird
For years, researchers were puzzle by the courtship ritual and the high pitched sounds that this bird created. Instead of explaining how this bird moves (and grooves), I am going to leave you with another video that you must watch. This long time Manakin researcher will walk you through the process of the Red-Capped Manakin’s dance. ENJOY!
