Serra do Mar tyrant-manakin

Serra do Mar tyrant-manakin
At Campos do Jordão, São Paulo State, Brazil
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Pipridae
Genus: Protopelma
van Els et al., 2023
Species:
P. chrysolophum
Binomial name
Protopelma chrysolophum
(Pinto, 1944)

The Serra do Mar tyrant-manakin (Protopelma chrysolophum), also known as the Serra do Mar neopelma and Serra tyrant-manakin, is a species of bird in the family Pipridae, the manakins. It is the only species in the genus Protopelma. It is endemic to Brazil.

Taxonomy and systematics

The Serra do Mar tyrant-manakin was originally described in 1944 as a subspecies of Wied's tyrant-manakin (Neopelma aurifrons). They were separated based on a study published in 1995.

Previously, this species was classified under the genus Neopelma in classification systems worldwide. However, a large-scale analysis of suboscine passerines conducted in 2020 revealed that Neopelma is paraphyletic due to this species. To resolve paraphyly, the monotypic genus Protopelma was described in 2023, as this species represents a distinct lineage that diverged from other Neopelma and Tyranneutes species more than 10 million years ago. The genus was subsequently adopted by most authorities.

The Serra do Mar tyrant-manakin is monotypic.

Description

The Serra do Mar tyrant-manakin is 13 to 13.5 cm (5.1 to 5.3 in) long and weighs 13.5 to 14.9 g (0.48 to 0.53 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a conspicuous yellow patch in the middle of the crown. The rest of their face, their upperparts, wings, and tail are olive-green. Their throat is dull grayish white, their upper breast grayish olive, and their lower breast and belly pale sulphur-yellow. They have a pale grayish mauve iris, a grayish bill, and grayish legs and feet.

Distribution and habitat

The Serra do Mar tyrant-manakin is found in coastal southeastern Brazil from east-central Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro state south at least to far southern São Paulo state and possibly beyond into Paraná. It inhabits the Serra do Mar coastal forests, where it greatly favors the forest edge, dense secondary forest, and areas of stunted woody vegetation. It shuns the forest interior. In elevation it ranges between 1,150 and 1,800 m (3,800 and 5,900 ft).

Behavior

Movement

The Serra do Mar tyrant-manakin is believed to be a year-round resident.

Feeding

The Serra do Mar tyrant-manakin feeds mostly on small fruits and also includes insects in its diet. It plucks or grabs its food from vegetation with a short sally from a perch; sometimes it briefly hovers.

Breeding

Serra do Mar tyrant-manakin males sing from a horizontal perch. Nothing else is known about the species' breeding biology.

Vocalization

The Serra do Mar tyrant-manakin's song is a "series of random, well-separated notes, such as a slow, staccato rih-tjew-tjew-tjuh, rrítju (rr stressed), tjuwtju, or vrrrrrú".

Status

The IUCN has assessed the Serra do Mar tyrant-manakin as being of Least Concern. It has a limited range; its population size is not known and is believed to be decreasing. No immediate threats have been identified. It is considered common. "Much suitable habitat persists in protected areas within its rather limited range."

References

  1. 1 2 3 BirdLife International (2024). "Serra do Mar Tyrant-manakin Neopelma chrysolophum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2024 e.T22724481A264153731. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2024-2.RLTS.T22724481A264153731.en. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  2. 1 2 van Els, P., M. G. Harvey, J. M. G. Capururcho, R. T. Brumfield, B. M. Whitney, and J. F. Pacheco. 2023. "Systematics of the Neopelminae (Aves: Passeriformes: Pipridae) with description of a new genus". Zootaxa 5361: 135-141.
  3. 1 2 3 AviList Core Team. 2026. AviList: The Global Avian Checklist, v2026. https://doi.org/10.2173/avilist.v2026
  4. ↑ Pinto, Oliverio Mario de Oliveira (1944). Catalogo das aves do Brasil: e lista dos exemplares existentes na colecao do Departamento de Zoologia. 2a Parte: Ordem PASSERIFORMES (continuacao): Superfamilia Tyrannoidea e Subordem PASSERES (in Portuguese). Departamento de Zoologia. pp. 100–101. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
  5. ↑ Pacheco, J. F., B. M. Whitney, and R. Parrini. 1995. "Two species of Neopelma in southeastern Brazil and diversification within the Neopelma/Tyranneutes complex: implications of the subspecies concept for conservation (Passeriformes: Tyrannidae). Ararajuba 3: 43-53.
  6. ↑ Clements, J. F., P.C. Rasmussen, T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, A. Spencer, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, M. Smith, and C. L. Wood. 2024. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2024. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/ retrieved October 23, 2024
  7. ↑ AviList Core Team. 2025. AviList: The Global Avian Checklist, v2025. https://doi.org/10.2173/avilist.v2025 retrieved June 11, 2025
  8. ↑ Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, D. F. Lane, L, N. Naka, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 29 September 2025. A classification of the bird species of South America. South American Classification Committee associated with the International Ornithological Union. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved September 29, 2025
  9. ↑ Clements, J. F., P. C. Rasmussen, T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, A. Spencer, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, M. Smith, and C. L. Wood. 2025. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2025. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Snow, D. (2020). Serra do Mar Tyrant-Manakin (Neopelma chrysolophum), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.sdmman1.01 retrieved October 17, 2025
  11. 1 2 3 van Perlo, Ber (2009). A Field Guide to the Birds of Brazil. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 282–283. ISBN 978-0-19-530155-7.