Araripe Manakin
Encyclopedia
The Araripe Manakin is a critically endangered
bird from the family of Manakin
s (Pipridae). It was discovered in 1996 and scientifically described in 1998. The species epithet commemorates Brazilian zoologist and wildlife filmmaker Werner Bokermann, who died in 1995. Because of its helmet-like crown it has received the Portuguese
name soldadinho-do-araripe which means "Little soldier of Araripe". This name also associates it with the related, but more widespread, Helmeted Manakin
(Antilophia galeata), which is known simply as the soldadinho.
in the colors of the plumage
. As in the Helmeted Manakin, it is a relatively large and long-tailed manakin, with a total length of c. 14.5 centimetres. The strikingly patterned males have a predominantely white plumage. With the exception of the white wing coverts, the wings are black as the tail. From the frontal tuft, over the crown, down to the middle back runs a carmine
red patch. The iris
is red. The females are mainly olive green and have pale green upperparts. They have a reduced olive green frontal tuft.
(Araripe uplands) in the Brazilian state of Ceará
in the north eastern region
of the country. It is only fifty kilometres long and one kilometre wide and the typical habitat apparently is a consequence of the soils formed from the Early Cretaceous
Santana Formation
limestone
. The pure breeding range has a size of only 1 km² and lays in a theme park. It is likely to be more widespread than presently known, although surveys in nearby Balneario das Caldas failed to locate any individuals.
In 2000 there was an estimated population of less than 50 individuals and it was considered as one of the rarest birds in Brazil and in the world. Only three males and one female were found until that date. In 2003 the estimations were more optimistic and BirdLife International assumed the population of 49 to 250 individuals. In 2004 it proceeded on the assumption that less than 250 individuals exist in the wild which was based on 43 discovered males. Unfortunately in 2000 a theme park with swimming pools and asphalted roads was built at the type locality Nascente do Farias and the largest part of its original habitat became destroyed. The cleared trees were replaced by banana plantations.
At the BirdLife International celebrity lecture held in Peterborough on 16 August 2008, it was announced that Sir David Attenborough would be championing the Araripe Manakin in an effort to raise funds to help protect this rare bird. There are approximately 500 pairs of the Araripe Manakin left. Sir David was presented with a picture of the Manakin following his lecture, which was on Alfred Russell Wallace and Birds of Paradise. More information and a picture of the Araripe Manakin can be found on the BirdLife website.
Critically endangered
Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...
bird from the family of Manakin
Manakin
The manakins are a family, Pipridae, of unique small suboscine passerine birds. The family contains some 60 species. They are distributed through the American tropics...
s (Pipridae). It was discovered in 1996 and scientifically described in 1998. The species epithet commemorates Brazilian zoologist and wildlife filmmaker Werner Bokermann, who died in 1995. Because of its helmet-like crown it has received the Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
name soldadinho-do-araripe which means "Little soldier of Araripe". This name also associates it with the related, but more widespread, Helmeted Manakin
Helmeted Manakin
The Helmeted Manakin is a small species of bird in the Pipridae family, the manakins. It is found in the cerrado and pantanal of Brazil; also northeast Paraguay, and a border region of northeast Bolivia...
(Antilophia galeata), which is known simply as the soldadinho.
Description
As typical of most manakins, males and females have a strong sexual dimorphismSexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
in the colors of the plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
. As in the Helmeted Manakin, it is a relatively large and long-tailed manakin, with a total length of c. 14.5 centimetres. The strikingly patterned males have a predominantely white plumage. With the exception of the white wing coverts, the wings are black as the tail. From the frontal tuft, over the crown, down to the middle back runs a carmine
Carmine
Carmine , also called Crimson Lake, Cochineal, Natural Red #4, C.I. 75470, or E120, is a pigment of a bright-red color obtained from the aluminum salt of carminic acid, which is produced by some scale insects, such as the cochineal beetle and the Polish cochineal, and is used as a general term for...
red patch. The iris
Iris (anatomy)
The iris is a thin, circular structure in the eye, responsible for controlling the diameter and size of the pupils and thus the amount of light reaching the retina. "Eye color" is the color of the iris, which can be green, blue, or brown. In some cases it can be hazel , grey, violet, or even pink...
is red. The females are mainly olive green and have pale green upperparts. They have a reduced olive green frontal tuft.
Distribution
This species is endemic to the Chapada do AraripeChapada do Araripe
The Chapada do Araripe, also known as the Serra do Araripe, is a chapada in northeastern Brazil. The chapada forms the boundary of Ceará and Pernambuco states, and forms the watershed between the Jaguaribe River of Ceará, which flows northward into the Atlantic, and the much larger basin of the...
(Araripe uplands) in the Brazilian state of Ceará
Ceará
Ceará is one of the 27 states of Brazil, located in the northeastern part of the country, on the Atlantic coast. It is currently the 8th largest Brazilian State by population and the 17th by area. It is also one of the main touristic destinations in Brazil. The state capital is the city of...
in the north eastern region
Northeast Region, Brazil
The Northeast Region of Brazil is composed of the following states: Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe and Bahia, and it represents 18.26% of the Brazilian territory....
of the country. It is only fifty kilometres long and one kilometre wide and the typical habitat apparently is a consequence of the soils formed from the Early Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous
The Early Cretaceous or the Lower Cretaceous , is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous...
Santana Formation
Santana Formation
The Santana Formation is a geologic Lagerstätte in northeastern Brazil's Araripe Basin where the states of Pernambuco, Piauí and Ceará come together. The geological formation, named after the village of Santana do Cariri, lies at the base of the Araripe Plateau...
limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
. The pure breeding range has a size of only 1 km² and lays in a theme park. It is likely to be more widespread than presently known, although surveys in nearby Balneario das Caldas failed to locate any individuals.
Threats
At the BirdLife International celebrity lecture held in Peterborough on 16 August 2008, it was announced that Sir David Attenborough would be championing the Araripe Manakin in an effort to raise funds to help protect this rare bird. There are approximately 500 pairs of the Araripe Manakin left. Sir David was presented with a picture of the Manakin following his lecture, which was on Alfred Russell Wallace and Birds of Paradise. More information and a picture of the Araripe Manakin can be found on the BirdLife website.
External links
- Araripe Manakin videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- BirdLife factsheet - Araripe manakin (English)
- Araripe Manakin. ARKive.
- Photograph of the male
- Conservação do soldadinho-do-araripe Antilophia bokermanni (AVES: Pipridae) (Archived 2009-10-25) (pdf, Portuguese)