Swallow-tailed Manakin

13 cm ; 2 cm tail. Reddish legs. <NThe male is shining light blue with a bright red cap and a black throat, cheeks, nape, wings and outer tail feathers. Crissum grayish. <NFemale is olive all over, paler below. <NYoung males and some older females have an orange front. During the display the males give a loud "chow<D4>... chow<D4>.. tju.. tju.. tju.. tju....." accompanied by a low "ra-a-a-a-a-a-a-a". Call is a repeated "d<CE>wo...d<CE>wo....", "tju..tju..", "twiu.. twiu... twiu....". Forages rather quietly within thickets and trees. A fruit eater. The display starts with three males lined up on a branch besides a female observer, dancing and hovering in front of her, then flying back to the other end of the line. The whole spectacle is then repeated. This ubiquitous, common and conspicuous manakin is sometimes strangely absent from a certain area. Found at lower and middle stratum of dense primary and secondary forest and edge. Throughout, sea level to 1500 meters. 14473 Calls, Iguape, 10<10>22<10>93, secondary forest, cloudy, 28<91>C.: 12317 Calls of males dancing at lek. Fazenda Intervales, 11<10>29<10>97. Sunny, 27<91>C. Secondary forest.: 2592 Calls. Serra das Rosas near Franca, 11<10>7<10>98. Rain in the morning, then sunny, 27<91>C. Secondary forest. With /Vireo olivaceus, Corythopis delalandi .: 11569 Call. Jureia-Peruibe, 10<10>13<10>99. Sunny, 20<91>C. Forest.: 1338 Calls. 10<10>15<10>99, Corisco trail, Picinguaba, east of Ubatuba. Sunny, 30<91>C. Primary forest. With /Procnias nudicollis .: 15 Calls of males dancing at lek. Fazenda Intervales, 10<10>25<10>00. Cloudy, 20<91>C, primary forest. With /Carpornis cucullatus, Trogon viridis, Chamaeza campanisoma .: 12492 >. Male: 14227 >. Female: 14516 .Photo by Edson Endrigo: