The Critically Endangered Araripe Manakin

This month's free offer features a bird called the Araripe Manakin (Antilophia bokermanni). You may be asking yourself, "What is a manakin and why is a foreign bird from SOUTH America featured during the month the United States celebrates it's Independence Day?" Let me introduce you to the Araripe Manakin, a bird I first saw in the Spring 2018 edition of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's "Living Bird" magazine.

This little bird is endemic (found nowhere else) to the Chapada do Araripe (the Araripe Plateau) in Ceara, Brazil. An estimated (less than) 800 individuals remain within a 30-mile stretch of land within the northeast portion of the state of Ceara, along the eastern side of the Araripe Plateau. It is labelled as critically endangered on the IUCN's Redlist of Endangered Species and remains seriously threatened by deforestation throughout the small region it lives.

Another main reason it is in decline is due to the species' nesting habits. Araripe Manakins nest very close to sources of fresh water and only live in wet forests. Unfortunately, this same habitat is ideal for the development of land by people.

Known as Soldadinho do Araripe (little soldier of the Araripe) in Brazil, this beautiful, flame-headed bird was only known locally until 1996, when it was discovered by an ornithologist named Weber de Girao Silva. In 1998. it was described in a scientific journal, formally recognizing it as a new species of bird.

The vast stretch of forest where the Araripe Manakin was initially discovered has since been turned into a water park (Arajara). Fortunately, the nonprofit organization, Aquasis, has worked with the park and together they have created a reserve specifically for the Araripe Manakin that includes native vegetation that make up the bird's diet, trails, and tours of the reserve in order to spread knowledge about how to help this species thrive once again.

This bird caught my attention and I really wanted to spread the word about it somehow through my art. Unfortunately, I do not have easy access to actually go and see this bird to photograph in South America and I don't know of any zoos close by keeping these birds as part of an endangered species program. I created my initial colored pencil sketch from the front cover photo of "Living Bird," taken by Gerrit Vyn. I'm featuring this bird this month mainly to spread the information about it, but also for aesthetic reasons; put it against a beautiful blue sky and you get the red, white, and blue of the United States flag!

I highly recommend reading the actual article written by Gustave Axelson in the Spring 2018 edition of Cornell's "Living Bird" magazine. I have attempted to hastily sum it up in this blog.

Check out the Araripe Manakin Earrings, exclusively at Timber Tiger Treasures!

~Blythe Bird Bloggers

(Click the "Living Bird" photo below to access the story online!)