Black-capped Piprites

The black-capped piprites (Piprites pileata), also known as the black-capped manakin, bailarín castaño, or piprites capirotado, is a species of suboscine passerine. It has been placed in the genus Piprites, part of the Tyrannidae family. Previously, the species was included in the family Pipridae, but was reclassified following genetic studies. It is found in the Atlantic Forest, especially in regions where Araucaria angustifolia are found, in the highlands of southeastern Brazil and northeastern Argentina. Until the recent rediscovery in Argentina, the only confirmed record there was a specimen taken in 1959. It is considered as rare and its population is in decline; it is considered vulnerable by BirdLife International. It is known from a number of protected areas, including the Itatiaia National Park in Rio de Janeiro, and Campos do Jordão State Park in São Paulo. == Distribution and habitat == The black-capped piprites is distributed unevenly in the southeastern region of Brazil (south of Minas Gerais and the state of Rio de Janeiro) and in the extreme northeast of Argentina, in the province of Misiones. The species is found in the canopy and subcanopy around the edge of the Atlantic Forest, especially in regions where Brazilian pines are found.…