{{Short description|Species of bird}} {{Speciesbox | name = Lance-tailed manakin | image = Lance-tailed Manakin (14700946111).jpg | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2017 |title=''Chiroxiphia lanceolata'' |volume=2017 |article-number=e.T22701074A110782974 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T22701074A110782974.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref> | genus = Chiroxiphia | species = lanceolata | authority = (Wagler, 1830) | range_map = Chiroxiphia lanceolata map.svg }}
The '''lance-tailed manakin''' ('''''Chiroxiphia lanceolata''''') is a small passerine bird which breeds in tropical Central and South America from Costa Rica to northern Venezuela. This manakin is a fairly common bird of dry and moist deciduous forests, but not rainforest. It is a small, compact bird about {{convert|13|cm|in|0}} long and similar to the blue-backed manakin, but both sexes have the two central tail feathers elongated to form a spike. Males have black plumage with a blue back, a red crown and orange legs. Females and juveniles are olive-green with paler underparts. At breeding time, males are involved in a cooperative behaviour during which they jump up and down alternately. This is a fairly common species with a wide range, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
==Description== Like other manakins, the lance-tailed manakin is a compact, brightly coloured forest bird, typically 13.5 cm long and weighing 17.5 g. Both sexes have bring orange legs and two central tail feathers elongated to form a spike.
Females are olive-green, with slightly paler underparts. Most females are solid green, however, a small portion have tawny or red caps. Adult males are mostly black, with a red cap and sky-blue back. Young males are olive but show a red cap and the start of a blue back as they mature. Male lance-tailed manakins do not reach their full adult plumage until approximately 26 months after hatching.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=DuVal|first=Emily H.|date=2005|title=Age-based plumage changes in the Lance-tailed Manakin: A two-year delay in plumage maturation|url=https://bioone.org/journals/the-condor/volume-107/issue-4/7793.1/AGE-BASED-PLUMAGE-CHANGES-IN-THE-LANCE-TAILED-MANAKIN/10.1650/7793.1.short|journal=The Condor|volume=107|issue=4|pages=915–920|doi=10.1650/7793.1|s2cid=17541611|via=BioOne Complete|doi-access=free|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
This species is similar to blue-backed manakin, ''Chiroxiphia pareola'', which breeds further south and east, but the latter lacks the spiky tail, and the male has a somewhat darker blue back.
==Ecology== The male lance-tailed manakin has an interesting breeding display, unusual in that it is cooperative rather than competitive. Two males perch next to each other on a bare stick and jump up and down alternately, sometimes giving short flights. Groups of birds may perform together, with a different stick for each pair of displaying males. The female builds a cup nest in a tree; two brown-mottled cream eggs are laid, and incubated entirely by the female for about 20 days.
The lance-tailed manakin has a number of calls, including a ''Toe-LEE-do'', a ''curry-ho'', and a frog-like buzzing croak given by displaying males.
These manakins eat fruit and some insects.
==Status== This bird has a very wide range, is fairly common and is presumed to have a large total population. The population trend is thought to be stable and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated the bird's conservation status as being of "least concern".<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021" />
==References== {{Reflist}} * ''Birds of Venezuela'' by Hilty, {{ISBN|0-7136-6418-5}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q841116}}
lance-tailed manakin Category:Birds of Panama Category:Birds of Colombia Category:Birds of Venezuela lance-tailed manakin