Bird
Blue-backed Manakin
Chiroxiphia pareola
The Blue-backed Manakin is a jewel of Tobago's forest understorey and one of the most remarkable birds in the Caribbean, celebrated for its extraordinary cooperative courtship display in which two males perform an alternating leapfrog dance together above a female. The male is a brilliantly coloured bird with jet-black body, vivid cerulean-blue back, and a bright red crown, combining colours rarely seen in a single bird. The species is found in Tobago but absent from Trinidad, making it a highly sought target for visiting birdwatchers.
Identification
The Blue-backed Manakin is a small, compact bird measuring 11 to 12 cm. The male is unmistakable: jet-black with a brilliant cobalt-blue back patch, a scarlet-red crown, and orange-red legs. The bill is short and broad. The female is entirely olive-green with orange-red legs, similar to other manakin females. The blue back and red crown of the male are visible at a distance even in dim forest light, and once seen the combination is distinctive from all other T&T birds. The call is a distinctive whistled "tow-ee" repeated from within the understorey.
Cooperative Display
The Blue-backed Manakin is one of the best-documented examples of cooperative male display among birds anywhere in the world. Two males, typically an older dominant male and a younger subordinate, perform an alternating vertical-jump display together at a perch site in the understorey, each leaping upward and then landing while the other leaps, creating a seamless alternating wheel. The female visits the display site and the dominant male alone mates with her if she is receptive; the subordinate male gains indirect fitness benefits through the partnership and gradually advances toward dominant status over years as the dominant ages. This complex social system has made the species an important subject in the study of avian cooperative behaviour.
Status in T&T
The Blue-backed Manakin is endemic to Tobago within T&T and does not occur on Trinidad. It inhabits the interior and edges of Tobago's remaining forests, including the Main Ridge Forest Reserve, and is one of the most important species for ecotourism on the island. The species is fully protected under the Conservation of Wild Life Act and is not a game species. It is dependent on intact forest understorey; the Main Ridge Forest Reserve is its primary stronghold on Tobago.
Threats
- Forest clearance and fragmentation in Tobago
- Habitat loss outside Main Ridge Reserve
- Understorey disturbance from agriculture