Ilicura militaris
Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The pin-tailed manakin (Ilicura militaris) is a suboscine species of bird within the manakin family, Pipridae. This species is endemic to the Eastern coast of Brazil within the humid Atlantic Forest, and its range extends from the State of Bahia to the State of Rio Grande Do Sul. The pin-tailed manakin is monotypic within the genus Ilicura, and has no known subspecies. It is a relatively small species that has pronounced sexual dimorphism. Male birds of this species have a bright white neck, chest, auriculars, and flanks. They have black and dark-green wings, with a signature pin shape tail that has a small fork near the tip, helping to give it its common name in English. The males are most easily identified by their characteristically vibrant red fore-crown and rump. The females of this species are a muted green, except for their neck and auriculars—which are light grey, and their cream-colored chest. Both male and female birds of this species share a slightly elongated head shape that gives them a distinguished raised forehead. The pin-tailed manakin's vocalizations are quiet, but resemble a high-pitched "see-see-see" in descending tones.
There has been very little research conducted on this species of manakin, and it especially lacks information on its ecology and breeding habits. The pin-tailed manakin is a primary frugivore, but it has been recorded consuming small amounts of insects on occasion. The diet is relatively unknown, but is hypothesized to be able to transform the keto-carotenoids found within its diet into rhodoxanthin, a rare pigment in animals, that gives this bird its signature red color. The pin-tailed manakin has an elaborate courtship ritual called lekking, and is suspected to breed sometime between November and February. This bird is non-migratory, and its conservation status is currently least concern, but its population numbers are hypothesized to be in decline. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Serra dos Órgãos National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Itatiaia National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Serra da Canastra National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 4 | Tijuca National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belo Horizonte | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Rio de Janeiro | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pin-tailed Manakin sighting in Serra da Canastra National Park on a given day, based on 63 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 155th most-seen of the 294 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and October
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Pin-tailed Manakin in Serra da Canastra National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January and September, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Pin-tailed Manakin sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Pin-tailed Manakin sightings, Serra da Canastra National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Serra dos Órgãos National Park (Brazil, about 20%) and Itatiaia National Park (Brazil, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Pin-tailed Manakin is recorded against all the birds logged in Serra da Canastra National Park (63 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.
