Machaeropterus is a genus of passerine birds in the manakin family Pipridae. They are found in the tropical forests of South America.
The genus Machaeropterus was introduced by the French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1854.[2] The type species was subsequently designated as the kinglet manakin.[3] The name Machaeropterus combines the Ancient Greek words μαχαιρα makhaira "knife" or "dagger" and -πτερος -pteros "-winged".[4]