Golden-headed Manakin

Golden-headed Manakin

Pipra erythrocephala

Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Darién National Park

In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%

213 Verified sightings at Darién National Park From 2019 to 2026
1,125 In all 10 parks
April Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Golden-headed Manakin

The golden-headed manakin (Ceratopipra erythrocephala) is a small passerine bird which breeds in tropical Central and South America in both wet and dry forests, secondary growth and plantations. It is a small manakin, about 9.4 centimetres (3.7 in) long. Males are entirely black apart from a golden head, yellow bill, white and red thighs and pink legs. Females and juveniles are olive-green with pink legs. At breeding time, males are involved in a cooperative lekking behaviour during which they jump, slide and dart from perch to perch. This is a fairly common species with a wide range, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".

The golden-headed manakin was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Parus erythrocephalus. Linnaeus based his account on the "Golden-headed black tit-mouse" that had been described and illustrated in 1743 by the English naturalist George Edwards in his book A Natural History of Uncommon Birds. Edwards had sketched a mounted specimen that belonged to Charles Lennox, the 2nd Duke... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call1:18

Ecuador · 2025

© Marc Anderson · XC995518 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Song0:40

Brazil · 2022

© Ricardo Gagliardi · XC836991 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Recording0:20

Colombia · 2001

© Mauricio Álvarez-Rebolledo (Colección de Sonidos Ambientales - Instituto Humboldt) · XC525499 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~40%
2 Brownsberg Nature Park 🇸🇷 Suriname
~40%
3 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~20%
4 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~20%
5 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
~10%
6 Podocarpus National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%
7 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%
8 Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%
9 Anavilhanas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
10 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 California Academy of Sciences 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
2 Zoo Pilsen 🇨🇿 Czechia In captivity
3 Dallas World Aquarium 🇺🇸 United States In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Golden-headed Manakin in Darién National Park?

Likely

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Golden-headed Manakin sighting in Darién National Park on a given day, based on 213 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 397 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Golden-headed Manakin in Darién National Park?

April

In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Golden-headed Manakin in Darién National Park on a given day, against about 20% in May, October and December, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Golden-headed Manakin?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Golden-headed Manakin sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Darién National Park the best place to see a Golden-headed Manakin?

Yes

Of the 10 parks where we can rate Golden-headed Manakin sightings, Darién National Park has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Brownsberg Nature Park (Suriname, about 40%) and Sierra de la Macarena National Park (Colombia, about 20%).

Which relatives of the Golden-headed Manakin live in Darién National Park?

Same family: Pipridae

The closest relatives of the Golden-headed Manakin that you can see in Darién National Park (family Pipridae, Manakins) are Golden-collared Manakin (about 30%) and White-ruffed Manakin (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Golden-headed Manakin sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Golden-headed Manakin is recorded against all the birds logged in Darién National Park (213 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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