Araripe Manakin

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Araripe Manakin

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Pipridae
Genus:	Antilophia
Species:	A. bokermanni

Binomial name

Antilophia bokermanni
Coelho and Silva, 1998

The Araripe Manakin (Antilophia bokermanni) is a critically endangered bird from the family of Manakins (Pipridae).

1 Description
2 Distribution
3 Threats
4 External links

[edit] Description

The Araripe Manakin was discovered in 1996 and scientifically discussed in 1998. Males and females have a strong sexual dimorphism in its coloring of the plumage. This manakin has a length of 14.5 centimetres. The males are strikingly patterned with a white and carmine red plumage. They have a predominantely white plumage. With the exception of the white wing coverts the wings are black as the tail. From the forehead to the middle back runs a carmine red feathercrown with a frontal tuft. The iris is red. The females are mainly olive green and have pale green upperparts. They have a reduced olive green frontal tuft. It was named in honor of the Brazilian zoologist and wildlife filmmaker Werner Bokermann who died in 1995. Because of its helmeted-like crown it has received the native name soldadinho-do-araripe which means "Little soldier of Araripe".

[edit] Distribution

This species has a strongly restricted range within in the Chapado de Araripe (Araripe uplands) in the Brazilian state of Ceará in the north eastern of the country. It is only fifty kilometres long and one kilometre wide. The pure breeding range has a size of only 1 km² and lays in a theme park.

[edit] Threats

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 was proceed 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 build 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.