Journal article
Plumage colour of Blue-capped Manakin males predicts female visitation rates but does not signal avian haemosporidian infection
Journal of ornithology, Forthcoming
13 Jan 2026
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Abstract
Colourful plumages may bear high production and maintenance costs. The parasite hypothesis posits that visual signals work as honest indicators of heritable resistance to parasites. However, the value of structural and melanin-based colours as honest signals is still an open question awaiting evidence, especially in lekking species, for which sexual selection is supposedly more intense than in socially monogamous species. In this context, we sampled 24 adult male and 26 adult female Blue-capped Manakins (Lepidothrix coronata) from a population in central Amazonia to test the hypothesis that (i) plumage colour of male Blue-capped Manakins influences the attraction of female individuals; and (ii) the occurrence of haemosporidian parasites is associated with the plumage colouration patterns of Blue-capped Manakin. We estimated the frequency of female visits at individual perches of Blue-capped Manakin males through behavioural observations, measured colour spectra from eight plumage patches of male and female individuals, and examined whether these individuals were infected with haemosporidian parasites using molecular screening techniques. We found that variation in melanin-based pigment and structural colours amongst male Blue-capped Manakin was associated with female visits. However, variation in these colours did not correspond to the occurrence of haemosporidian parasites. In contrast to previous studies, we suggest that the structural and melanin-based colouration of male and female Blue-capped Manakin may not be costly enough to be used as an honest signal of susceptibility to haemosporidian parasites.
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Details
- Title
- Plumage colour of Blue-capped Manakin males predicts female visitation rates but does not signal avian haemosporidian infection
- Creators
- Fernando Teófilo (Corresponding Author) - Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da AmazôniaMariane Bosholn - Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da AmazôniaAlan Fecchio - Drexel UniversityJason D. Weckstein - Drexel UniversityÉrica Do ValeMarina Anciães - Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia
- Publication Details
- Journal of ornithology, Forthcoming
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- Number of pages
- 11
- Grant note
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientfico e Tecnolgico (CNPq): 471092/2012-6 Faixa C. Association of Field OrnithologistsFundao de Amparo Pesquisa do Estado do Amazonas (FAPEAM): 003/2009, 653/2009 NSF: DEB-1503804 Coordenao de Aperfeioamento de Pessoal de Nvel Superior (CAPES)CNPqFAPEAMSo Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP): 2025/09699-4
The field data collection was based upon research supported by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq) (UNIVERSAL number 471092/2012-6 Faixa C. to M. Anci & atilde;es), by Association of Field Ornithologists, and by Fundac & atilde;o de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Amazonas (FAPEAM) (PRONEX-proj. 003/2009, number 653/2009 to M. Anci & atilde;es and A. Lima). Haemosporidian laboratory work was funded by NSF DEB-1503804 to J. Weckstein. During the project, F. Teofilo received a fellowship from Coordenac & atilde;o de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES) and CNPq. M.B. received a fellowship from FAPEAM and CNPq. E.V. received a fellowship from CNPq. A. Fecchio is supported by S & atilde;o Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), process number 2025/09699-4.
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science (BEES); Ornithology
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001660618500001
- Other Identifier
- 991022153555404721