We returned to the Hotel Montana Monteverde in the mid-afternoon of 6 July. We stopped first for a protracted lunch at the Hummingbird Cafe we visited the day before. At the hotel, most of our group hiked down to a small pond at the base of a hill. Erika and I were intrigued by the hotel’s 15-hectare forest trail, which also ended at the pond. Two of our companions walked with us, but, about half way down the trail we went separate ways.
We saw very little during our hike. On the way back up the trail Erika exclaimed, “look at that small, green bird with the long tail!” I never saw it, but figured that a female Long-tailed Manakin was a possibility. I played the manakin’s song on my cell phone, not knowing that male Long-tailed Manakins do not respond to each other’s calls. But a small, black and azure manakin flew across the trail and landed on a bare perch within the forest. I was able to get one, not so good photograph before the bird flew again. But, as you can see below, this was quite a striking bird.
Male manakins form dancing courts called leks. Any male is welcomed to the lek, at least until a female shows up. Then lower-ranking males are chased away. Long-tailed Manakin leks are strange. Two unrelated males hold court. The two males remain together, even outside the breeding season. These pairs may last several years. Younger males move from lek to lek, often dancing with other males. Females watch and listen to the males, but visit relatively few leks. Only a few males mate successfully in any given year. Usually only the dominant male mates, but females may mate with his partner if the alpha male is absent—even if she has already mated with the dominant bird (Neotropical Birds).
We saw very little during our hike. On the way back up the trail Erika exclaimed, “look at that small, green bird with the long tail!” I never saw it, but figured that a female Long-tailed Manakin was a possibility. I played the manakin’s song on my cell phone, not knowing that male Long-tailed Manakins do not respond to each other’s calls. But a small, black and azure manakin flew across the trail and landed on a bare perch within the forest. I was able to get one, not so good photograph before the bird flew again. But, as you can see below, this was quite a striking bird.
Male manakins form dancing courts called leks. Any male is welcomed to the lek, at least until a female shows up. Then lower-ranking males are chased away. Long-tailed Manakin leks are strange. Two unrelated males hold court. The two males remain together, even outside the breeding season. These pairs may last several years. Younger males move from lek to lek, often dancing with other males. Females watch and listen to the males, but visit relatively few leks. Only a few males mate successfully in any given year. Usually only the dominant male mates, but females may mate with his partner if the alpha male is absent—even if she has already mated with the dominant bird (Neotropical Birds).
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