White-bearded Manakin, Asa Wright,Trinidad

This little bird was a long way away and just about impossible, not only to see, but also to photograph. Better than nothing, though. I like its little orange legs and feet.

"The white-bearded manakin (Manacus manacus) is a small passerine bird which breeds in tropical South America. It is found from Colombia, Venezuela and Trinidad south to Bolivia and northern Argentina. This manakin is found in forests, secondary growth and plantations. It is a small, plump bird about 10.7 centimetres (4.2 in) long. Males have a black crown, upper back, wings and tail and are otherwise white. Females are olive-green and resemble female golden-headed manakins. At breeding time, males are involved in lekking behaviour on the forest floor during which they puff out their neck feathers. 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 male white-bearded manakin has a fascinating breeding display at a communal lek. Each male clears a patch of forest floor to bare earth, and perches on a bare stick. The display consists of rapid leaps between sticks and the ground, accompanied by a loud wing snap, the whirring of the wings, and a chee-poo call. Groups of up to 70 birds may perform together, the largest leks being in Trinidad." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-bearded_manakin