Today’s Belize Photo of the Day is the White-Collared Manakin which is scientifically known as Manacus candei.
These compact forest birds are short-tailed, big-headed and quite tiny measuring a mere 11 cm in length and 18.5 grams in weight and are abundantly found in mainland areas across Southern Mexico and Central America.
In Belize, these passerine birds have been spotted within Chaa Creek’s Private 365 Nature Reserve and can be seen during an early morning bird walk tour.
Like other manakins, this species has a fascinating breeding display at a communal lek. Each male clears a patch of forest floor up to 120 cm across to bare earth, and leaps to and from between thin upright bare sticks, giving a loud wing snap. When a female is present males jump together, crossing each other above the bare display court. The throat feathers are also erected to form a beard.
The White-collared Manakin feeds low in the trees on fruit and some insects, both plucked from the foliage in flight.
Submitted by Naturalist Guide: Hilberto Tut