The Manakins Present Song, Dance, Snappy Wings
A-well-a everybody’s heard about the bird
B-b-b-bird, bird, bird, b-bird’s the word
From Surfin’ Bird, performed by The Trashmen (1963)
The Things We Do For Love
In the case of the male manakin, the category “Things We Do For Love - Or At Least For Mating” includes a full scale treetop vaudeville show.
The Overture
In their ardent wooing of the ladies, these sparrow-sized birds of Central and South America use their wings and bodies to create snaps (sharp clicks), hums, and what is described as a violin-like “ting.”
According to Discovery News,
While perched, bird creates the “tick” note by leaning forward and rapidly flipping its wings behind its back. The “ting” begins with the same motion, as the wings are also drawn toward the body, causing the tips of specialized, inner feathers to rub together. Each wing has an inner feather with a pick, or a small blade, and an adjacent feather with ridges and enlarged and hollow shafts. The violin-like hum is created as the pick feather strikes against the adjacent feather. The bird then shivers its wings, drawing out the “ting” note. The entire movement is made in a shivering motion at 106 times a second, which is the fastest known in the animal world.
In other words, the manakin makes sounds much the same way a cricket does.1
A video of a manakin in full symphonic expression can be viewed at
Bird Woos with Violin-Like Feathers [The video is preceded by a mercifully brief ad].
But no cricket dances like a manakin.
The Big Dance Number
It is, apparently, an irresistible temptation to go with the cliché in describing the choreography. So be it.
The manakin mating dance is nothing less than a Michael Jackson-quality moonwalk.
Watch the video, which appears to be from the PBS special Jungle Dancers“>”Jungle Dancers” and includes commentary by Kim Bostwick.
An embedded video player of the video is available at
Media Page for The Manakins Present Song, Dance, Snappy Wings
The video can also be seen on the Youtube site at
Bird Moondance On Youtube
Footnotes
- An arguably more scientific explanation, complete with videos and sound files, is available at
Courting Bird Sings with Stridulating Wing Feathers ~back~
