Crested bird-of-paradise

Cnemophilus macgregorii

(Photo from Astronomy to Zoology)

Common name:
crested bird-of-paradise (en); ave-do-paraíso-de-poupa (pt); cnémophile huppé (fr); ave-del-paraíso crestada (es); furchenparadiesvogel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Paradisaeidae

Range:
This species is endemic to the mountain of New Guinea, being found from the easternmost mountains of Indonesia to the mountains east of Port Moresby in south-eastern Papua-New Guinea.

Size:
These birds are 24 cm long and weigh 80-120 g.

Habitat:
The crested bird-of-paradise in upper mountain and sub-alpine tropical forests, as well as along forest edges and in nearby scrublands. They also use secondary and disturbed forests. This species occurs at altitudes of 2.600-3.500 m.

Diet:
They are strictly frugivorous, mainly taking simple drupes or berries that are swallowed whole.

Breeding:
Crested birds-of-paradise breed in August-January. They are polygynous with males displaying to attract females and having no further part in the reproduction process after mating. The female builds the nest alone, a globular structure made of sticks, green mosses and green fern fronds, and lined with green-yellow epiphytic orchid stems. The nest is placed on a decayed tree stump, or within the branches of a tree, 2-4 m above the ground. There she lays a single egg which she incubates alone for about 3 weeks. The chicks are raised by the female alone and fledge about 5 weeks after hatching.

Conservation:IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a relatively large breeding range. Its secretive habits limit meaningful assessment of abundance, but the crested bird-of-paradise is reported to be common wherever researchers have mist-netted in its habitat.

King of Saxony bird-of-paradise

Pteridophora alberti

(Photo from Berita dan Ilmu Pengetahuan)

Common name:
King of Saxony bird-of-paradise (en); ave-do-paraíso-de-Alberto (pt); paradisier du Prince Albert (fr); ave-del-paraíso de Alberto (es); wimpelträger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Paradisaeidae

Range:
This species is endemic to the island of New guinea, being found along the central mountain range in both Indonesia and Papua-New Guinea.

Size:
These birds are 22 cm long but behind each eye the males have a feather shaft that can reach 50 cm in length. Males tend to be larger than females, weighing 80-95 g while females weigh 68-88 g.

Habitat:
The King of Saxony bird-of-paradise is only found in mountain rainforests, at altitudes of 1.500-2.850 m.

Diet:
They are mainly frugivorous, usually favouring green fruits such as false figs. They are also known to eat insects.

Breeding:
These birds breed in September-April. They are polygynous, with males displaying in a lek to attract females and having no further part in the breeding process after mating. The female builds the nest alone, where she lays a single egg that she incubates for 22 days. The chicks is fed by the female and fledge 20-30 days after hatching. They reach sexual maturity at 1-2 years of age.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is reported to be widespread and common. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ingoing hunting pressure, but it is not considered threatened at present.

Ribbon-tailed astrapia

Astrapia mayeri

Photo by Mark Harper (Wikipedia)

Common name:
ribbon-tailed astrapia (en); ave-do-paraíso-de-fitas (pt); paradisier à rubans (fr); ave del paraíso cola de moños (es); schmalschwanz-paradieselster (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Paradisaeidae

Range:
This species is endemic to the central mountains of Papua-New Guinea, from the Strickland River to Mt Hagen and Mt Giluwe.

Size:
These birds are 32 cm long, but the tails feather in an adult male can grow up to 1 m long. They weigh 130-150 g.

Habitat:
The ribbon-tailed astrapia is only found in mountain rainforests, at altitudes of 2.400-3.400 m.

Diet:
They feed on fruits, particularly those of Scheflera, and also insects and other invertebrates.

Breeding:
Ribbon-tailed astrapias as polygynous, with the males performing elaborate displays to attract females after which they have no further part in the breeding process. They place their nest in a small isolated tree and the female lays a single eggs which she incubated for 21 days. the chick fledges 26-30 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near-Threatened)
This species has a relatively small breeding range, but it is described as fairly common to locally abundant. There are no data on population trends, but the ribbon-tailed astrapia is thought to be in slow decline owing to on-going habitat degradation.

Raggiana bird-of-paradise

Paradisaea raggiana

Photo by Bruce Beehler (Australian Geographic)

Common name:

Raggiana bird-of-paradise (en); ave-do-paraíso-de-Raggi (pt); paradisier de Raggi (fr); ave del paraíso de Raggi (es); Raggi-paradiesvogel (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Paradisaeidae

Range:

This species indemic to island of New Guinea, being found in eastern and southern Papua-New guinea and marginally across the border into Indonesia.

Size:

These birds are 28-34 cm long but the males reach 70 cm if the tail plumes are included. The males weigh 310-340 g while the smaller females weigh 170-200 g.

Habitat:

The Raggiana bird-of-paradise is mostly found in lowland rainforests, but also in some mountain rainforests, second growths and sometimes in rural gardens.

Diet:

They are mainly frugivorous, eating the fruits whole and thus being an important seed disperser for fruiting tree in New Guinea. They also eat some insects and other arthropods.

Breeding:

Raggiana birds-of-paradise breed in September-November. They are polygynous, with the males congregating in leks where they perform an elaborate courtship dance to attract the females who choose their favourite dancer. After mating, the female builds a cup-shaped nest composed of leaves and leaf pieces, stems, ferns and other plant fibres, and lined with hairs. The nest is placed in a fork of a tree, 2-11 m above the ground. There she lays 1-2 pinkish buff eggs, which she incubates alone for 18-20 days. The chicks are raised by the female alone and fledge about 3 weeks after hatching, but continue to receive food from their mother for over 1 month.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a large breeding range and is reported to be common. Even though the plumes of this species are heavily cropped by natives for ceremonial headdresses, the practice is not a threat to their long-term survival and the population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Victoria's riflebird

Ptiloris victoriae

Photo by Lindsay Hansch (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
Victoria's riflebird (en); ave-do-paraíso-de-Vitória (pt); paradisier de Victoria (fr); ave-del-paraíso de Victoria (es); Victoriaparadiesvogel (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Paradisaeidae


Range:
This species is endemic to eastern Australia, only being found in the Atherton Tableland region of north-eastern Queensland.


Size:
These birds are 23-25 cm long and weigh 90-100 g.


Habitat:
The Victoria's riflebird is mostly found in lowland rainforest and sometimes also in mangroves and swamp forests.


Diet:
They eat mostly eat various invertebrates, namely cockroaches, spiders, wood lice, and centipedes, which they dig out of tree bark. They also eat fruits and berries.Breeding:
Victoria's riflebirds breed in August-February. The female builds the nest alone and often decorates it with snake skins. She lays 1-2 eggs which she incubates alone for 18-19 days. The chicks are fed by the female alone and fledge 14-15 days after hatching. 


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
This species has a restricted breeding range, but it is reported to be common throughout its remaining habitat. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to habitat loss and hunting pressure.

Lesser bird-of-paradise

Paradisaea minor

(Photo from Liva Kara)

Common name:

lesser bird-of-paradise (en); ave-do-paraíso-pequena (pt); paradisier petit-émeraude (fr); ave del paraíso pequeña (es); kleiner paradiesvogel (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Paradisaeidae

Range:

The lesser bird-of-paradise is found in Indonesia and Papua-New Guinea.

Size:

These birds are 32 cm long and weigh up to 160 g.

Habitat:

They are mostly found in tropical and sub-tropical moist lowland forests, but may also occur in areas of degraded forest or even in arable land.

Diet:

The diet of the lesser bird-of-paradise consists mainly of fruits and insects.

Breeding:

Lesser birds-of-paradise are polygamous, with the males performing courtship displays in leks to attract females. After mating, each female builds a nest using dried leaves and grasses, where she lays 1-2 pinkish eggs with dark markings. The female incubates the eggs alone for 18 days. The chicks are raised by the female alone and fledge 16-20 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a large breeding range and is reported to be common and widespread. Despite the fact that this species is often captured for the pet trade and for their feathers, the population is suspected to be stable.

King bird-of-paradise

Cicinnurus regius

Common name:

king bird-of-paradise (en); ave-do-paraíso-real (pt); paradisier royal (fr); ave-del-paraíso real (es); königs-paradiesvogel (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Paradisaeidae

Range:

This species in found throughout lowland Papua-New Guinea and in the surrounding islands of Aru, Missol, Salawati, and Yapen.

Size:

The king bird-of-paradise is 16-19 cm long, but males reach 31 cm long if the central rectrices are included. They weigh 40-65 g.

Habitat:

They are found in lowland rainforests, gallery forests, forest edges, and disturbed and tall secondary forests, up to an altitude of 950 m.

Diet:

Their diet consist of fruits and arthropods, taken at all forest levels, often in mixed species foraging flocks.

Breeding:

The king bird-of-paradise is polygynous, with solitary or lekking, sedentary, promiscuous adult males dispersed at traditional display tree perches. Breeding takes place in March-October. After copulation the males plays no further role in the nesting and chick rearing process. The female build the nest, an open cup placed in a tree cavity, where she lays 2 eggs. The female incubates the eggs for 17 days and then feeds and broods the chicks until fledging, which takes place 14 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

Although the global population size has not been quantified, the species is reported to be common over its large breeding range. Although the species is sometimes sought after by the native men of Papua-New Guinea, who use the plumes of adult males are personal adornment, the hunting pressure represents no threat to populations which is suspected to be stable.