The Golden-headed Manakin is a small passerine bird which breeds in tropical South America. It is found from Panama, Colombia and Trinidad south and east to the Guiana and Brazil and Northern Peru.
Like other Manakins, the Golden-headed Manakin is a compact, brightly colored forest bird, typically 10 cm long and weighing 13 gm. The adult male is black apart from a golden cap, white and red thighs, pink legs and a yellowish bill. The female and young males are olive-green and resemble female White-bearded Manakins, but are smaller, shorter-tailed and have pinkish legs.
This Manakin is a common bird of forests, second growth and plantations. Like other Manakins they eat fruit and some insects.
Male Golden-headed Manakins give a fascinating courtship display. Each male occupies a horizontal perch 20–40 ft high and rapidly jumps, slides, or darts to other perches. Groups of up to 12 birds may perform together. The female builds a shallow cup nest low in a tree; two brown-mottled yellowish eggs are laid, and incubated entirely by the female for about 16–17 days.