Manakins are small birds (about 4 inches) with interesting social lives. The males spend much of their time in areas called leks, where they practice their mating displays. They run back and forth on a branch, jump rapidly from one branch to another and back again, and repeatedly turn around on their perch, while making a variety of strange noises, including a loud one they make with their wings that sounds like snapping your fingers. The males spend hours sitting around the lek and watching each other practice their moves. When a female shows up, all of the males start displaying at once, trying to put on the best show they can. If the female is impressed, she mates with one of the males, then goes off to build her nest, incubate the eggs and raise the young by herself. The male goes back to the lek.
These are two males; the females are olive green. Several more shots are at:
http://www.pbase.com/gtepke/redcapped_manakin
