Araripe Manakin
CR

Araripe Manakin

Antilophia bokermanni

Declining

Photo: Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Overview

The Araripe manakin is a species of bird from the family of manakins (Pipridae). It was discovered in 1996 and scientifically described in 1998. The species epithet commemorates Brazilian zoologist and wildlife filmmaker Werner Bokermann, who died in 1995.

Because of its helmet-like crown it has received the Portuguese name soldadinho-do-araripe which means "little soldier of Araripe". This name also associates it with the related, but more widespread, helmeted manakin, which is known simply as the soldadinho.

The Araripe Manakin's survival is threatened primarily by the clearing and degradation of spring-fed gallery forest for agriculture, cattle grazing, and eucalyptus plantations within its tiny range at the Chapada do Araripe. Unregulated tourism and recreational development around the forest springs it depends on for breeding further disturb and fragment critical habitat. Water extraction and pollution from nearby human settlements additionally degrade the riparian microhabitat essential to its nesting and foraging.

Threat summary

Habitat

This species inhabits remnant Atlantic Forest patches and riparian gallery forests within the Caatinga biome of the Chapada Diamantina mountains in Bahia, Brazil. It shows strong preference for areas with dense understory vegetation near permanent water sources at elevations between 400-1000 meters.

Forest· majorForest - Subtropical/tropical moist lowland· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionHabitat & natural process restorationSpecies managementSpecies recoveryAwareness & communicationsLinked enterprises & livelihood alternatives

Other threatened species in PIPRIDAE

Yellow-headed ManakinVU

Yellow-headed Manakin

Chloropipo flavicapilla

Declining
Opal-crowned ManakinVU

Opal-crowned Manakin

Lepidothrix iris

Declining

Threatened in Brazil

Striped SmoothhoundCR

Striped Smoothhound

Mustelus fasciatus

Declining
VU

Mussismilia hispida

Declining
VU

Myrcia carioca

Declining
Brasilia TapaculoEN

Brasilia Tapaculo

Scytalopus novacapitalis

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Araripe Manakin classified as Critically Endangered?
Araripe Manakin is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Araripe Manakin's survival is threatened primarily by the clearing and degradation of spring-fed gallery forest for agriculture, cattle grazing, and eucalyptus plantations within its tiny range at the Chapada do Araripe. Unregulated tourism and recreational development around the forest springs it depends on for breeding further disturb and fragment critical habitat. Water extraction and pollution from nearby human settlements additionally degrade the riparian microhabitat essential to its nesting and foraging.
Where does Araripe Manakin live?
Araripe Manakin occurs in Brazil. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Araripe Manakin?
The main threats to Araripe Manakin are 1.1, 2.1, 2.3, and 5.3. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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