The Manakins

There are stark differences with the person I am at home versus in the field. Generally, I struggle to wake up on time every morning, yet when I'm out camping, I often find myself awake earlier than I need to be. My attempts to bridge the two have been met with little success, probably because unlike Georgetown, Guyana (my version of civilization), the temperature in the interior dips dramatically at night. On my first night out, I probably would have found myself awake and freezing way earlier had Leram not lent me an extra thick bed sheet which he'd brought along. Ironically enough, it was he complained about cold the next morning.

Nevertheless, we were both up in good time, and after packing our bags with the supplies we'd need, the entire team set out just after sunrise. We were not only with Willow and Lainy, but two master's students, Justin and Claire. They were all there for the same reason: to study manakins.

Manakins, the birds of the family Pipradae, are one the most showy groups of the neotropical songbirds. In addition to their flashy and sometimes ridiculous colours, manakin males are most noted for the fact that they dance. Yes, they dance.

(The Red-capped Manakin (Ceratopipra mentalis) From the PBS Documentary "Deep Jungle - New Frontiers")

(Lance Tailed Manakins (Chiroxiphia lanceolata) performing for a female. At the end of this paired mating dance, only one male gets to pass on his genes)

Manakin females are especially picky. As a result, males from within the family have evolved elaborate mating rituals in order to impress them. The Golden Collared Manakin (Manacus vitellinus) goes as far as clearing a section of the forest floor and darting from twig to twig which clapping its wing bars together (see clip above for slow motion video) to produce clicks. 

(The Golden Collared Manakin mating ritual)

The cost of these complex mating behaviours is the large amount of brain power they require. Male manakins have to be able to perform these actions with an incredible amount of dexterity, while females need to be able to see the subtle differences between two dances to determine which is the better mate. The male manakin brain actually increases in size during the mating season specifically to accommodate this. All for the purpose of passing on their genes.