The Club-winged Manakin (Machaeropterus deliciosus) is a resident breeder in the cloud forest on the western slopes of the Andes Mountains of Colombia and northwestern Ecuador in South America.
Wings & Sound
The really cool part about this bird is that the males produce a violin-like sound in order to attract the females with their wings. Kind of like how crickets use wings to chirp!
According to a Cornell University ornithologist in the July 29 issue of Science, male club-winged manakins use specially adapted feathers in each wing to make a tone – much like a cricket chirping by rubbing together sound-making apparatus in its wings.
This sound makes the male more attractive to the females.
“Essentially an instrument has evolved in this species, in this case a refined instrument,” said Kimberly Bostwick, the paper’s lead author, a curator in the birds and mammals division of Cornell’s Museum of Vertebrates and a research associate in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.
Description
The colorful males of the species have brownish-red feathers, a bright red crown, and black and white wings. The less colorful females are mainly a yellow-green color.
The males of this species gather in an area in order to try and attract the attention of the females. The females mate with their chosen male, and then leave the mating area in order to build a nest and raise the young. The males don’t raise the young, they mainly stick around where they were before, trying to attract the next female. As you can tell, these birds don’t pair up for life.
They average 2.5 cm or 4.9 inches in length, from beak to tip of tail.
Diet
Club-winged Manakins mainly eat fruit but may sometimes supplement their diet with insects. In fact, they can open up their beaks quite a bit, so much so that they can swallow fruits quite large in size. In return for getting much-needed nutrition from the plants they depend on, these birds effectively disperse the seeds of the fruits they eat and, thus, help regenerate their own food supply in the process.
Breeding / Nesting
The average clutch consists of two eggs, which are incubated for 18 to 21 days.
Northern Lapwing: Large, unique plover with black breast, face, crown, and long upright head plumes; back is green-tinged purple and copper. Belly and sides are white, uppertail is white with a black tip, and undertail coverts are rich rufous-orange. Wings are dark with white tips; legs are pink. Sexes are similar. Winter adult shows less black on face and has white edges on dark back feathers. Juvenile resembles winter adult but has fine spots on dark back, and shorter head plumes.
Range and Habitat
Northern Lapwing: This species is found in a wide variety of open areas with bare ground or low grasses. It is widespread in Europe and Asia; this bird occasionally wanders in the autumn to eastern Newfoundland and Labrador, extreme eastern Quebec, and the northeastern United States from Maine to Maryland.
Breeding and Nesting
Northern Lapwing: Breeds in a wide variety of open habitats ranging from wetlands to pastures and old fields. Lays four or five brown eggs with black markings that are primarily incubated by the female for 26 to 28 days. Chicks are independent soon after hatching but are guarded by one or both parents.
Foraging and Feeding
Northern Lapwing: Feeds in open fields and areas of bare ground, where it hunts for insects and small invertebrates by sight. Will run a few steps, pause and probe in ground, run a few steps.
Vocalization
Northern Lapwing: Call is a plaintive whistle “peewit.”
Similar Species
Northern Lapwing: Rare vagrant and unlikely to be confused with any species in North America.
Where and when to see them
Lapwings are found on farmland throughout the UK particularly in lowland areas of northern England, the Borders and eastern Scotland. In the breeding season prefer spring sown cereals, root crops, permanent unimproved pasture, meadows and fallow fields. They can also be found on wetlands with short vegetation. In winter they flock on pasture and ploughed fields. The highest known winter concentrations of lapwings are found at the Somerset Levels, Humber and Ribble estuaries, Breydon Water/Berney Marshes, the Wash and Morecambe Bay.
The goldcrest is the smallest bird in Europe, weighing on average just 5-7g (1/4 oz). With a characteristic dull olive-green top and white underbelly, the goldcrest is famed for the gold stripe on its crown, giving it a somewhat striking appearance. It is very similar to the Firecrest bird. Males and females differ only slightly. On the male, the crest stripe is orange; on the female, it is yellow.
Goldcrests are very quick birds, which makes them hard to spot. They tend to scurry from place to place, and do so on branches and around tree trunks. They can be distinguished by their high pitched calls.
Goldcrest Feeding
Goldcrests feed mainly on insects and spiders, and as such are ground feeders. It is rare for goldcrests to venture into the garden and feed from bird tables; however, on very cold winter days, goldcrests can be found feeding from bird tables. It is worth bearing this in mind if you want to feed goldcrests from your garden table. Bread crumbs and small bits of cheese will attract them to the table on these cold winter days.
Goldcrest Breeding & Nesting
Goldcrest nests can often be located on conifer branches and buried among ivy. Typically, the goldcrest nest is made of moss, spiders webbing and lichens and is usually found to be lined with feathers.
Goldcrests eggs are a dull-white colour with light brown speckles. Breeding begins in late April; the incubation period lasts between 14-17 days and consequently there are around 19 fledge days. Both parents help to feed the young.
Male Birds of Paradise perform elaborate dances to attract a mate.
This is specific scene, what i have seen online on bbc earth channel’s show named” Planet earth” . This bird is performing dance to attract female bird and after this step i cant stop myself to search about this bird.
And let me tell you, after this much effort , female was not impressed , LOL.
But im in love with this bird.
The bird of paradise bird, also spelled bird-of-paradise, lives in tropical forests in Australia and the surrounding islands. Most types are sexually dimorphic, meaning the males and females differ in appearance. While the females have muted colors and short feathers, the males sport long, brightly colored feathers streaming from their heads, beaks, wings, or tails. They use their elaborate feathers in spectacular mating dances designed to attract the attention of a female.
108 Panchatantra Stories (Illustrated) for children
These birds are not just one species. In fact, around 45 distinct types have been identified.
Bird of Paradise Amazing Facts
Males take a long time to mature. It may take up to seven years for them to gain their adult plumage.
These birds are important to their habitat as seed distributors. They do not digest the seeds in the fruit they eat.
When specimens were first brought to Europe during the 1500s, some people thought the Bird of Paradise was the phoenix of myth. In a native language, they were called “birds of God,” and that is from where the name “bird of paradise” was derived.
Where To Find Bird of Paradise
These birds are primarily found in Australia and New Guinea. Some types also live on nearby islands. The Australian species are commonly called riflebirds and manucodes. They live in dense forests and jungles.
These birds are elusive and can be hard to spot in the wild. Travelers are also discouraged from visiting parts of their range. However, the Port Moresby Nature Park and Adventure Park PNG in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea are easily accessible zoos that have fine collections of various species. Each park has a walk-through aviary where you can view the animals up close as they feed on fruits and fly around their rainforest habitat.
Bird of Paradise Nests
Females construct nests of ferns, leaves, and vines, usually placed in the fork of a tree. Males do not assist.
Size, Appearance, & Behavior
king bird-or-paradise
curl-crested manucode
The smallest is the king bird-or-paradise, which weighs 1.8 oz (50g) and is less than 6 inches (15 cm) in length. The largest is the curl-crested manucode, which weighs 15 oz (430g) and is 17 inches (44 cm) in length – more than three times the size of its smaller cousin! The black sicklebill has the longest tail – from beak to tail-tip, it is 43 inches (110 cm).
black sicklebill
Males have brighter and longer feathers than females. Females bear drab colors, usually green, black, or brown. Some have long, thin, curved beaks. Generally, females of the species have bigger beaks.
These birds exhibit some of the most interesting and entertaining behaviors of any bird. Males go to great lengths to attract the attention of females. They will often clear a “dance floor” – a branch or a patch of ground – by removing all leaves, twigs, and debris. Then, the real show begins. Depending on the species, males may hold their wings and tails at odd angles, puff out their chests, and dance rhythmically.
Bird of Paradise Diet
All species primarily eat fruit. They also consume arthropods, including insects and spiders. Some also eat nectar and small vertebrates.
What Does the Bird Eat?
They eat fruit and insects.
Predators and Threats
Many of these bird species are threatened by the loss of habitat. They also fall victim to hunters who wish to sell their beautiful feathers or use them for ceremonial garb. Interestingly, birdwatching tourism has deterred the hunting of the birds.
What Eats the Bird?
Predators include snakes, owls, and hawks. Females and young males have subdued colors to help them blend in with their environment and avoid predators.
Reproduction, Babies, and Lifespan
As already noted, these birds are noted for their elaborate mating dances. Once a female chooses the male with the best dance moves as her mate, she builds a nest and lays one to two eggs. She raises the chicks without assistance from the male.
Some species are monogamous, meaning they mate for life. Others engage in lekking. This means that groups of males display and dance together. The watching female then chooses her favorite from the group. She may mate with a different male each nesting season.
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Autumn 