Blue Manakin Mating Dance Watching in Rio de Janeiro 2025

The Blue Manakin bird, a small, bright blue bird with black head and wings and a red cap, has definitely got some looks. But it's even more dashing when it is mate-seeking at the end of the rainy season. The male manakins have developed a special way to woo females—they cooperate with other males and perform their 'dance.' The males gather on a branch and when the female arrives the first one shows off his skills singing and dancing. Then he flies to the end of the line and the next bird repeats the performance. This continues for a couple of minutes so that the female can decide which o​ne she likes.