The Bird That Moonwalks Better Than Michael Jackson

The red-capped manakin (Ceratopipra mentalis) is instantly recognizable by its red head. But what is most impressive about the bird is its ability to dance! The red-capped manakin can move and groove — and a new video captured one moonwalking better than the King of Pop Michael Jackson himself!   

YouTube videographer Petr Bambousek shared a video of a red-capped manakin moonwalking in Costa Rica. The bird begins by standing on a branch before twisting its body to show off its sleek black feathers and yellow legs. In milliseconds, the bird begins gliding along the branch backward. Its tail feathers are flicking up and down as it moves, and that’s the only way you can tell that the bird is dancing and hopping down the branch instead of actually walking on air. It’s impressive!

Later in the video, the red-capped manakin flips around to face the camera, providing a new angle as it moonwalks down the branch again. This creature is so incredible that we can hardly believe we aren’t watching an AI-generated clip.

Comments on the video proved everyone else is just as amazed by this bird as we are. “That’s not a bird my guy,” one person quipped. “That’s a smooth criminal.” Another person wrote, “My man got serious movez.”

Why Does a Red-Capped Manakin Dance?

Much like humans who show off their impressive dance moves, red-capped manakins dance to attract a mate. The red-capped manakin will gather in a lek to moonwalk, dance, and flick its wings on a branch, which serves as a makeshift stage. It’s all done to try to get the attention of a female and find a mate. They’ll even add sound effects to further impress the ladies. If the female likes what she sees, she will join the male for more dancing.

“The elaborateness of the courtship ritual goes hand in hand with that extreme sexual selective pressure that leads to elaborate male traits,” John Rowden, director of community conservation at the National Audubon Society, previously told National Geographic. The female manakin will provide feedback to the males, who will adjust their behavior and improve it, according to Rowden.

Many Manakins Have Snazzy Mating Rituals

Interestingly enough, the male red-capped manakin also attracts a mate with its plumage. Female manakins are mostly olive green, without the red feathers on their heads and or the yellow coloring on their thighs. With their snazzy appearance and popstar dance moves, male manakins make it hard for females to resist!

When red-capped manakins reproduce, males will mate with several females, and the females will lay up to two dark gray eggs in a nest hanging from a tree, according to the Dallas World Aquarium.

Red-capped manakins are native to Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. There are approximately 60 recognized species of manakins (family Pipridae), many of which sing or dance or both during mating. For example, the club-winged manakin will rub its feathers together to create a violin-like sound that will impress a female.

Birds With Built-in Dancing Shoes

Other dancing birds include the blue-footed bobby, which struts around and points its head up at the sky; birds of paradise, which show off their dance moves in a lek; red-crowned cranes, which move together in a synchronized dance; and flamingos, which learn individual dance moves to impress a mate.

Birds take dancing very seriously, but to us, they are simply the cutest little performers!