• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Justification of Red List category
This species is assessed as Vulnerable owing to its small and disjunct population, which is undergoing declines caused by the loss, fragmentation and degradation of forests within its range.

Population justification
The species is patchily distributed and rare to uncommon in suitable habitat, though it is very inconspicuous and perhaps overlooked (Ridgely and Tudor 1994). Fieldwork in Cañón del río Barbas y Bremen IBA calculated a density of 1.3 individuals/km² (O. H. Marín-Gómez in litt. 2012). Assuming that this density is representative for the entire range, and that 50% of forests within the range are occupied to account for the species' localised distribution and rarity (i.e. 4,000-5,000 km²; per Global Forest Watch 2022), the population may number 5,200-6,500 individuals. This roughly equates to 3,500-4,000 mature individuals. Even though the species is able to cross small open areas (Renjifo et al. 2014) it is likely that occupied areas are disjunct with no or very low connectivity between subpopulations. Given the species' patchy distribution it is assumed that no subpopulation numbers more than 1,000 mature individuals.

Trend justification
Fieldwork confirms that the species is in decline and that it may be disappearing from some localities, particularly in areas where forest fragmentation and degradation is severe (Castaño-Villa and Patiño-Zabala 2008, O. Cortés in litt. 2009, Renjifo et al. 2014). Over ten years, around 5% of tree cover is lost within the range (Global Forest Watch 2022, using Hansen et al. [2013] data and methods disclosed therein); forest loss is projected to continue into the future (Negret et al. 2021). Due to its high dependence on forests, population declines may exceed the rate of tree cover loss. Tentatively, population declines are here placed in the band 1-19% over ten years.

The species is locally distributed in south-west Colombia, where it is known from the West Andes from Cauca to Antioquia, the north Central Andes in from Antioquia to Quindio and Tolima and at the head of the río Magdalena valley in Huila (Ridgely and Tudor 1994). At least formerly it also occurred in Ecuador, with a small number of records from Napo and Tungurahua, although the last observations are from the 1990s (Ridgely and Tudor 1994, Snow et al. 2020).

It is confined to the lower growth of montane forest and mature secondary woodland (Ridgely and Tudor 1994) from 1,200 to 2,400 m. It is found 1-8 m up in vegetation, occasionally associating with mixed-species flocks (Hilty and Brown 1986). It feeds on fruits including those of the Palicourea genus (Snow et al. 2020).

The major threat to this species is the loss and fragmentation of its habitat (Renjifo et al. 2014). Much of its range is within prime agricultural land (Ridgely and Tudor 1994).

Conservation and Research Actions Underway
The species occurs in several protected areas, including Los Nevados and Farallones de Cali National Parks in Colombia, and possibly in Sumaco Napo-Galeras National Park in Ecuador. It is listed as Vulnerable at the national level in Colombia (Renjifo et al. 2014) and as Data Deficient in Ecuador (Freile et al. 2019). Environmental education activities focusing on this and other threatened species are carried out in Tolima (Renjifo et al. 2014).

Conservation and Research Actions Proposed
Search for the species in potentially suitable habitat at new sites. Confirm the species' presence or absence in Ecuador. Monitor population at strongholds. Study its ecology and population structure. Research threats, including its ability to persist in degraded and fragmented habitats. Protect areas of suitable habitat within the range. Continue and expand environmental education campaigns.

12-13 cm manakin. Male has golden-yellow crown and nape. Upperparts bright olive. Face, throat and breast paler and yellower, belly pale yellow. Under­wing-coverts white. Iris pale orange-red. Upper mandible blackish, lower mandible paler bluish-grey. Legs grey. Female similar to male but less yellow and with duller head and breast. Juvenile similar to female but duller. Voice Not recorded but apparently generally silent.

Text account compilers
Hermes, C.

Contributors
Ashpole, J, Cortés, O., Isherwood, I., Marín, O., O'Brien, A., Pilgrim, J., Sharpe, C.J. & Symes, A.

---

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Yellow-headed Manakin Chloropipo flavicapilla. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/yellow-headed-manakin-chloropipo-flavicapilla on 23/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/12/2024.