Sarah Stone's circa 1780 drawing of a white-fronted manakin is a stunning example of her talent as a natural history illustrator and painter. The artwork is rendered in watercolor and ink on high-quality laid paper watermarked "JWhatman," and it showcases Stone's meticulous attention to detail and artistic skill.
The image depicts the white-fronted manakin perched on an abstracted dead tree stump and branch, a characteristic style of Stone's work. This drawing is a testament to Stone's contributions to the field of natural history, as it provides a scientifically significant depiction of the bird and serves as one of the first studies of this species.
This species is native to a region of South America that includes French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and northeastern Brazil, where it can be found in subtropical and tropical moist lowland forests. The male white-fronted manakin is predominantly black in color, with a blue rump, yellow belly patches, and a distinctive patch of white feathers on its forehead. The female is gray and black with a pale yellow belly and white eye ring. The white-fronted manakin is a fairly common species with a wide range, and it is currently considered to be of "least concern" in terms of conservation status by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.