Main content

Manakin Mating Dance

The males dance for the females - they leap from side to side on a patch of forest floor which they have cleared of leaves. When a female arrives the males leap about and male crackling noises by snapping their wings together. The club-winged manakin jumps up and down on a branch and tips forward to show off his open wings and scarlet head. The blue-crowned manakin flies in circles around its chosen branch. The golden-headed manakin does a 'moonwalk' backwards along a branch. The wire-tailed manakin does the same, but also waggles his bottom to flick his tail feathers across a watching female. The long-tailed manakins dance in pairs, one landing as the other leaps. One is an experienced bird and the other is a younger 'apprentice'. Only the older bird will mate, but the young one may inherit his display area when he dies.

Release date:

Duration:

4 minutes

More clips from Courting