Blue-crowned Manakin (Lepidothrix coronata)

Identification & Behavior: ~9 cm (3.5 in). The male Blue-crowned Manakin can be black with a blue crown or green with a blue crown. The black with blue crown population occurs on the north side of the Amazon River and east side of the Ucayali River to northern Ucayali. The green with blue crown population occurs from the southern part of the Department of Amazonas on the west side of the Ucayali River south to Cuzco. The female is mostly green with a yellowish belly. It forages in the understory of the forest in Amazonia. The black-bodied male is similar to a male Cerulean-capped Manakin but is distinguished by having a black rump. The female largely overlaps with the female White-crowned Manakin but is distinguished by a green plumage and no gray on the head.

Status: The Blue-crowned Manakin is uncommon and widespread in Amazonia where it is known to range up to 1400 m along the foothill of the Andes. It also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, and Bo.

Name in Spanish: Saltarín de Corona Azul.

Sub-species: Blue-crowned Manakin (Lepidothrix coronata carbonata), (Todd), 1925.  SC & SE Colombia, S Venezuela, and NE Peru and NW Brazil N of Amazon.
(Lepidothrix coronata coronata), (Spix), 1825.  E Ecuador, and NE Peru and adjacent extreme W Brazil S of Amazon.
(Lepidothrix coronata exquisita), (Hellmay), 1905.  C Peru E of Andes.
(Lepidothrix coronata caelestipileata), (Goeldi), 1905.  SE Peru and adjacent W Brazil.

Meaning of Name: Lepidothrix: Gr. lepis, lepidos= scale, flake and thrix, trikhos= hair. coronata: L. corona= crown, coronatus, crowned= coronare to crown.

See more of the Family Pipridae