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The birds of paradise are members of the family Paradisaeidae of the order Passeriformes. They are found in eastern Indonesia
Indonesia

The Republic of Indonesia , is a transcontinental country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Comprising Islands of Indonesia, it is the world's largest Archipelago state....
, Torres Strait Islands
Torres Strait Islands

The Torres Strait Islands are a group of at least 274 small islands which lie in Torres Strait, the waterway separating far northern continental Australia's Cape York Peninsula and the island of New Guinea....
, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands ....
, and eastern Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
. The members of this family are perhaps best known for the plumage of the males of most species, in particular highly elongated and elaborate feathers extending from the beak, wings or head. Birds of paradise range in size from the King Bird of Paradise
King Bird of Paradise

The King Bird of Paradise, Cicinnurus regius is a small, approximately 16cm long, passerine bird of the Paradisaeidae family. The male is a crimson and white bird of paradise with bright blue feet and green-tipped fan-like plumes on its shoulder....
 at 50 grams (1.8 oz) and 15 cm (6 in) to the Black Sicklebill
Black Sicklebill

The Black Sicklebill, Epimachus fastuosus is a large bird of paradise of midmountain forests of New Guinea. The male has black plumage with an iridescent green, blue and purple scale-like feathers, red Iris , bright yellow mouth, long curved black bill, huge sabre-shaped tail and large erectile fan-like plumes on sides of breast....
 at 110 cm (43 in) and the Curl-crested Manucode
Curl-crested Manucode

The Curl-crested Manucode, Manucodia comrii is a compact and large, approximately 43cm long, bird of paradise with glossy purple, black and green plumage, red Iris and crinkled yellowish-green upper breast and neck feathers....
 at 430 grams (15.2 oz).

Best known are the members of the genus Paradisaea
Paradisaea

The genus Paradisaea Carolus Linnaeus, 1758 consists of seven species of bird of paradise.All are large, sexual dimorphism, and beautifully plumed birds of paradise....
, including the type species, the Greater Bird of Paradise
Greater Bird of Paradise

The Greater Bird of Paradise, Paradisaea apoda, is a large, up to 43cm long, maroon brown bird of paradise with a yellow crown, dark emerald green throat and blackish brown breast cushion....
, Paradisaea apoda.






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The birds of paradise are members of the family Paradisaeidae of the order Passeriformes. They are found in eastern Indonesia
Indonesia

The Republic of Indonesia , is a transcontinental country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Comprising Islands of Indonesia, it is the world's largest Archipelago state....
, Torres Strait Islands
Torres Strait Islands

The Torres Strait Islands are a group of at least 274 small islands which lie in Torres Strait, the waterway separating far northern continental Australia's Cape York Peninsula and the island of New Guinea....
, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands ....
, and eastern Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
. The members of this family are perhaps best known for the plumage of the males of most species, in particular highly elongated and elaborate feathers extending from the beak, wings or head. Birds of paradise range in size from the King Bird of Paradise
King Bird of Paradise

The King Bird of Paradise, Cicinnurus regius is a small, approximately 16cm long, passerine bird of the Paradisaeidae family. The male is a crimson and white bird of paradise with bright blue feet and green-tipped fan-like plumes on its shoulder....
 at 50 grams (1.8 oz) and 15 cm (6 in) to the Black Sicklebill
Black Sicklebill

The Black Sicklebill, Epimachus fastuosus is a large bird of paradise of midmountain forests of New Guinea. The male has black plumage with an iridescent green, blue and purple scale-like feathers, red Iris , bright yellow mouth, long curved black bill, huge sabre-shaped tail and large erectile fan-like plumes on sides of breast....
 at 110 cm (43 in) and the Curl-crested Manucode
Curl-crested Manucode

The Curl-crested Manucode, Manucodia comrii is a compact and large, approximately 43cm long, bird of paradise with glossy purple, black and green plumage, red Iris and crinkled yellowish-green upper breast and neck feathers....
 at 430 grams (15.2 oz).

Best known are the members of the genus Paradisaea
Paradisaea

The genus Paradisaea Carolus Linnaeus, 1758 consists of seven species of bird of paradise.All are large, sexual dimorphism, and beautifully plumed birds of paradise....
, including the type species, the Greater Bird of Paradise
Greater Bird of Paradise

The Greater Bird of Paradise, Paradisaea apoda, is a large, up to 43cm long, maroon brown bird of paradise with a yellow crown, dark emerald green throat and blackish brown breast cushion....
, Paradisaea apoda. This species was described from specimens brought back to Europe from trading expeditions. These specimens had been prepared by native traders by removing their wings and feet so that they could be used as decorations. This was not known to the explorers and led to the belief that the birds never landed but were kept permanently aloft by their plumes. This is the origin of both the name "birds of paradise" and the specific name apoda - without feet.

Biology

Birds of paradise are generally crow-like in general body-form, and, indeed are the brother group to the Corvids (crows & jays). They have stout or long bills and strong feet, with around two-thirds of the species being strongly sexually dimorphic
Sexual dimorphism

Sexual dimorphism is the systematic difference in form between individuals of different sex in the same species. Examples include color , size, and the presence or absence of parts of the body used in courtship displays or fights, such as ornamental feathers, horns, antlers or tusks....
.

They live in tropical forests, including rainforest
Rainforest

Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions setting minimum normal annual rainfall between 1750?2000 mm . The monsoon trough, alternately known as the intertropical convergence zone, plays a significant role in creating Earth's tropical rain forests....
, swamps and moss forest. In most species, the diet consists predominantly of fruit, although riflebirds and sicklebills also favour insects and other arthropods.

Most species have elaborate mating rituals, with the Paradisaea species using a lek-type mating system. Others, such as the Cicinnurus
Cicinnurus

The genus Cicinnurus consist of three Sickletails Bird of paradise.All three species are sexual dimorphism and have bright blue legs and feet....
 and Parotia
Parotia

The genus Parotia are birds of paradise . They are found on New Guinea, to which they are endemic . They are also known as six-plumed birds of paradise, due to their six head quills....
 species, have highly ritualized mating dances. Males are polygamous in the sexually dimorphic species, but monogamous in at least some of the monomorphic species. Hybridization is frequent in these birds, suggesting the polygamous species of bird of paradise are very closely related despite being in different genera. Many hybrids have been described as new species, and doubt remains regarding whether some forms, such as Rothschild's Lobe-billed Bird of Paradise
Rothschild's Lobe-billed Bird of Paradise

The Rothschild's Lobe-billed Bird of Paradise is one of six enigmatic species of Bird of Paradise collected in Papua New Guinea for zoologist Lionel Walter Rothschild in 1903....
, are valid.

Birds of paradise build their nests from soft materials, such as leaves, ferns, and vine tendrils, typically placed in a tree fork. Clutch
Clutch (eggs)

A clutch of egg refers to all the eggs produced by one bird or reptile at a single time, particularly those laid in a nest....
 size is somewhat uncertain. In the large species, it is probably almost always just one egg. Smaller species may produce clutches of 2-3.(Mackay 1990) Eggs hatch after 16-22 days, and the young leave the nest at between 16 and 30 days of age.

The manucodes are the most primitive members of the group.

Species of Birds of Paradise

Genus Lycocorax
  • Paradise Crow
    Paradise Crow

    The Paradise Crow, Lycocorax pyrrhopterus, also known as the Silky Crow, is a medium-sized crow-like bird of paradise with all-dark, soft and silky plumage....
    ,     Lycocorax pyrrhopterus


Genus Manucodia
Manucodia

The genus Manucodia consists of five medium-sized bird of paradise with black-glossed purple and green plumages.Distributed in the lowland forests of northeastern Australia, New Guinea and nearby islands, members of this genus are monogamous and sexually monomorphic....
  • Glossy-mantled Manucode
    Glossy-mantled Manucode

    The Glossy-mantled Manucode, Manucodia ater, is a medium-sized, around 42cm long, glossed green, blue and purple black bird of paradise with a red Iris , black Beak, long graduated tail and somewhat elongated upper breast and neck feathers....
    , Manucodia atra
  • Jobi Manucode
    Jobi Manucode

    The Jobi Manucode, Manucodia jobiensis is a medium-sized, up to 34cm long, greenish blue, black and purple glossed crow-like bird of paradise with red Iris , lightly crinkled bluish short upper breast and neck feathers....
    , Manucodia jobiensis
  • Crinkle-collared Manucode
    Crinkle-collared Manucode

    The Crinkle-collared Manucode, Manucodia chalybatus is a medium-sized, up to 36cm long, greenish blue, black and purple glossed bird of paradise with long graduated tail, red Iris and iridescent green breast feathers....
    , Manucodia chalybata
  • Curl-crested Manucode
    Curl-crested Manucode

    The Curl-crested Manucode, Manucodia comrii is a compact and large, approximately 43cm long, bird of paradise with glossy purple, black and green plumage, red Iris and crinkled yellowish-green upper breast and neck feathers....
    , Manucodia comrii
  • Trumpet Manucode
    Trumpet Manucode

    The Trumpet Manucode, Manucodia keraudrenii is a medium-sized, approximately 31cm long, bird of paradise with an elongated horn-like head tufts and loose neck feathers....
    , Manucodia keraudrenii


Genus Paradigalla
Paradigalla

The genus Paradigalla Ren?-Primev?re Lesson, 1835 consist of two species of birds of paradise. Both are medium sized black birds with blue and yellow facial wattle ....
  • Long-tailed Paradigalla
    Long-tailed Paradigalla

    The Long-tailed Paradigalla, Paradigalla carunculata is a large, approximately 37cm long, black bird of paradise with long and pointed tail....
    ,     Paradigalla carunculata
  • Short-tailed Paradigalla
    Short-tailed Paradigalla

    The Short-tailed Paradigalla, Paradigalla brevicauda is a medium-sized, approximately 23cm long, stocky black plumaged bird of paradise with slender black Beak and bright yellow and blue wattle in front of each eye....
    ,     Paradigalla brevicauda


Genus Astrapia
Astrapia

The genus Astrapia consists of five species of bird of paradise.Endemic to New Guinea, the males have highly iridescent plumage and remarkably long tails....
  • Arfak Astrapia
    Arfak Astrapia

    The Arfak Astrapia, Astrapia nigra is a large, approximately 76cm long, black bird of paradise with an iridescent purple, green and bronze plumage....
    , Astrapia nigra
  • Splendid Astrapia
    Splendid Astrapia

    The Splendid Astrapia, Astrapia splendidissima is a medium-sized, approximately 39cm long, black bird of paradise with an iridescent yellow-green mantle, blue-green throat, dark green below and short, broad and black-tipped white tail feathers....
    , Astrapia splendidissima
  • Ribbon-tailed Astrapia
    Ribbon-tailed Astrapia

    The Ribbon-tailed Astrapia also known as Shaw Mayer's Astrapia, Astrapia mayeri is a medium-sized, up to 32cm long , velvet black bird of paradise....
    , Astrapia mayeri
  • Stephanie's Astrapia
    Stephanie's Astrapia

    Stephanie's Astrapia, Astrapia stephaniae also known as Princess Stephanie's Astrapia is a medium-sized, approximately 37cm-long, black bird of paradise with an iridescent blue-green and purple head, silky plumage below and two very long, broad purplish-black central tail feathers....
    , Astrapia stephaniae
  • Huon Astrapia
    Huon Astrapia

    The Huon Astrapia, Astrapia rothschildi is a medium-sized, approximately 69cm long, bird of paradise. The male has black plumage with a glossed blue crown, dark olive-green back, an iridescence purple-green elongated nape feathers, and a very long and broad purplish black tail....
    , Astrapia rothschildi


Genus Parotia
Parotia

The genus Parotia are birds of paradise . They are found on New Guinea, to which they are endemic . They are also known as six-plumed birds of paradise, due to their six head quills....
  • Western Parotia
    Western Parotia

    The Western or Arfak Parotia, Parotia sefilata is a medium-sized, approximately 33cm long, bird of paradise with a medium-length tail....
    ,     Parotia sefilata
  • Carola's Parotia
    Carola's Parotia

    The Carola's Parotia, Parotia carolae also known as Queen Carola's Six-wired Bird of Paradise is a medium-sized, up to 26cm long, bird of paradise....
    ,     Parotia carolae
  • Berlepsch's Parotia
    Berlepsch's Parotia

    The Berlepsch's Parotia , also known as Berlepsch's Six-wired Bird of Paradise, is a medium-sized black bird of paradise with a bronze-tinged upperparts, conspicuous white flank plumes, iridescent coppery-greenish breast plumes, and six flag-tipped head wires....
    ,     Parotia berlepschi
  • Lawes's Parotia
    Lawes's Parotia

    Lawes's Parotia, Parotia lawesii, is a medium-sized passerine of the birds of paradise family , Paradisaeidae. It is distributed and Endemism in birds to mountain forests of southeast and eastern Papua New Guinea....
    ,     Parotia lawesii
  • Eastern Parotia
    Eastern Parotia

    The Eastern Parotia is also known as Helena's Parotia. Approximately 27cm long, it is a medium-sized passerine of the birds of paradise family , Paradisaeidae....
    ,     Parotia helenae
  • Wahnes's Parotia
    Wahnes's Parotia

    Wahnes's Parotia is a medium-sized passerine of the birds of paradise family . The male has an iridescent yellow-green breast shield, elongated black plumes, three erectile spatule head wires behind each eye, coppery-bronzed nasal tuft feathers and long, wedge-shaped tail feathers....
    ,     Parotia wahnesi


Genus Pteridophora
  • King of Saxony Bird of Paradise
    King of Saxony Bird of Paradise

    The King of Saxony Bird of Paradise, Pteridophora alberti, is a small, approximately 22cm long, passerine of the Paradisaeidae family. It is the only member in monotypic genus Pteridophora....
    , Pteridophora alberti


Genus Lophorina
  • Superb Bird of Paradise
    Superb Bird of Paradise

    The Superb Bird of Paradise, Lophorina superba, is a small, approximately 26cm long, passerine bird of the Paradisaeidae family. It is the only member in the genus Lophorina....
    ,     Lophorina superba


Genus Ptiloris
Ptiloris

The genus Ptiloris consist of four riflebirds species of the Paradisaeidae family.It is distributed in the rainforests of New Guinea and Australia....
  • Magnificent Riflebird
    Magnificent Riflebird

    The Magnificent Riflebird, Ptiloris magnificus, is a medium-sized passerine bird of the Paradisaeidae family. The male is a velvet black bird of paradise with an elongated black filamental flank plumes, iridescent blue green on its crown, wide triangle-shaped breast shield and on central tail feathers....
    , Ptiloris magnificus
  • Eastern Riflebird
    Eastern Riflebird

    The Eastern Riflebird, Ptiloris intercedens also known as Growling Riflebird is a medium-sized passerine bird of the Paradisaeidae family....
    , Ptiloris intercedens
  • Paradise Riflebird
    Paradise Riflebird

    The Paradise Riflebird, Ptiloris paradiseus is a medium-sized, up to 30cm long, passerine bird of the Paradisaeidae family. The male is a black bird of paradise with an iridescent greenish blue crown, throat and central tail feathers....
    , Ptiloris paradiseus
  • Victoria's Riflebird
    Victoria's Riflebird

    The Victoria?s Riflebird, Ptiloris victoriae also known as Duwuduwu to the local Indigenous Australians people, is a bird of paradise endemism in birds to the Atherton Tableland region of northeastern Queensland, Australia where it resides year-round....
    , Ptiloris victoriae


Genus Epimachus
Epimachus

The genus Epimachus consist of four species bird of paradise with long decurved sickle-like Beak....
  • Black Sicklebill
    Black Sicklebill

    The Black Sicklebill, Epimachus fastuosus is a large bird of paradise of midmountain forests of New Guinea. The male has black plumage with an iridescent green, blue and purple scale-like feathers, red Iris , bright yellow mouth, long curved black bill, huge sabre-shaped tail and large erectile fan-like plumes on sides of breast....
    ,     Epimachus fastuosus
  • Brown Sicklebill
    Brown Sicklebill

    The Brown Sicklebill, Epimachus meyeri is a large, up to 96cm long, dark brown and black bird of paradise with highly iridescent plumages, a sickle-shaped bill, pale blue Iris and brown underparts....
    ,     Epimachus meyeri
  • Black-billed Sicklebill
    Black-billed Sicklebill

    The Black-billed Sicklebill , also known as Buff-tailed Sicklebill , is a medium-sized, up to 35cm long, brown bird of paradise. The male has a bare maroon grey skin around its eye, buff colored tail, dark brown Iris , yellow mouth and black sickle-like Beak....
    ,     Epimachus albertisi
  • Pale-billed Sicklebill
    Pale-billed Sicklebill

    The Pale-billed Sicklebill, Epimachus bruijnii is a medium-sized, up to 35cm long, olive brown bird of paradise. The male has a bare purple grey skin around its eye, brown Iris , pale sickle-like Beak, an iridescent red and purple-tipped upper breast plumes, blue and green-tipped ornamental lower breast feathers and purple small horn-like...
    ,     Epimachus bruijnii


Genus Cicinnurus
Cicinnurus

The genus Cicinnurus consist of three Sickletails Bird of paradise.All three species are sexual dimorphism and have bright blue legs and feet....
  • Magnificent Bird of Paradise
    Magnificent Bird of Paradise

    The Magnificent Bird of Paradise, Cicinnurus magnificus is a small, up to 26cm-long, bird of paradise with extremely complex plumage. The male has seemingly incandescent yellow wings, an iridescent-green breast shield, blue feet, and is adorned with a yellow mantle on its neck....
    , Cicinnurus magnificus
  • Wilson's Bird of Paradise
    Wilson's Bird of Paradise

    The Wilson's Bird of Paradise, Cicinnurus respublica, is a small, up to 21cm long, passerine bird of the Paradisaeidae family. The male is a red and black bird of paradise with a yellow mantle on its neck, light green mouth, rich blue feet and two curved violet tail feathers....
    , Cicinnurus respublica
  • King Bird of Paradise
    King Bird of Paradise

    The King Bird of Paradise, Cicinnurus regius is a small, approximately 16cm long, passerine bird of the Paradisaeidae family. The male is a crimson and white bird of paradise with bright blue feet and green-tipped fan-like plumes on its shoulder....
    , Cicinnurus regius


Genus Semioptera
  • Wallace's Standardwing
    Wallace's Standardwing

    The Wallace?s Standardwing, Semioptera wallacii is a medium-sized, approximately 28cm long, olive-brown bird of paradise. It is the only member in monotypic genus Semioptera....
    ,     Semioptera wallacii


Genus Seleucidis
  • Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise
    Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise

    The Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise, Seleucidis melanoleucus is a medium-sized, approximately 33cm-long, velvet black and yellow bird of paradise....
    , Seleucidis melanoleuca


Genus Paradisaea
Paradisaea

The genus Paradisaea Carolus Linnaeus, 1758 consists of seven species of bird of paradise.All are large, sexual dimorphism, and beautifully plumed birds of paradise....
  • Lesser Bird of Paradise
    Lesser Bird of Paradise

    The Lesser Bird of Paradise, Paradisaea minor is a medium-sized, up to 32cm-long, maroon-brown bird of paradise with a yellow crown and brownish-yellow upper back....
    ,     Paradisaea minor
  • Greater Bird of Paradise
    Greater Bird of Paradise

    The Greater Bird of Paradise, Paradisaea apoda, is a large, up to 43cm long, maroon brown bird of paradise with a yellow crown, dark emerald green throat and blackish brown breast cushion....
    ,     Paradisaea apoda
  • Raggiana Bird of Paradise
    Raggiana Bird of Paradise

    The Raggiana Bird of Paradise, Paradisaea raggiana also known as Count Raggi's Bird of Paradise is a large, up to 34cm-long, maroon-brown bird of paradise with greyish-blue Beak, yellow Iris and greyish-brown feet....
    ,     Paradisaea raggiana
  • Goldie's Bird of Paradise
    Goldie's Bird of Paradise

    The Goldie's Bird of Paradise, Paradisaea decora is a large, approximately 33cm long, olive-brown bird of paradise. The male has a yellow and dark green plumage with a lavender grey breast, yellow Iris and grey colored Beak, mouth and feet....
    ,     Paradisaea decora
  • Red Bird of Paradise
    Red Bird of Paradise

    The Red Bird of Paradise, Paradisaea rubra is a large, up to 33cm long, brown and yellow bird of paradise with a dark brown Iris , grey legs and yellow Beak....
    ,     Paradisaea rubra
  • Emperor Bird of Paradise
    Emperor Bird of Paradise

    The Emperor Bird of Paradise, Paradisaea guilielmi also known as Emperor of Germany's Bird of Paradise is a large, approximately 33cm long, yellow and brown bird of paradise with a reddish-brown Iris , bluish-grey Beak and purplish-brown legs....
    ,     Paradisaea guilielmi
  • Blue Bird of Paradise
    Blue Bird of Paradise

    The Blue Bird of Paradise, Paradisaea rudolphi, is a medium-sized, approximately 30cm long, black bird of paradise with a bluish-white Beak, dark brown Iris , grey legs, broken white eye-ring and bright blue wings....
    ,     Paradisaea rudolphi


Formerly placed here
  • Loria's Bird-of-paradise, Cnemophilus loriae - probably closer to Melanocharitidae
    Melanocharitidae

    The Melanocharitidae, the berrypeckers and longbills, is a small bird family restricted to the forests of New Guinea. The family was once placed inside the Flowerpecker family Dicaeidae, and the longbills were once considered to be honeyeaters ....
     (berrypeckers) (Cracraft & Feinstein 2000).
  • Crested Bird-of-paradise, Cnemophilus macgregorii - probably closer to Melanocharitidae (Cracraft & Feinstein 2000).
  • Yellow-breasted Bird-of-paradise, Loboparadisea sericea - probably closer to Melanocharitidae (Cracraft & Feinstein 2000).
  • Macgregor's Giant Honeyeater (formerly "Macgregor's Bird-of-paradise"), Macgregoria pulchra - recently found to be a honeyeater
    Honeyeater

    The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family of small to medium sized birds most common in Australia and New Guinea, but also found in New Zealand, the Pacific islands as far east as Samoa and Tonga, and the islands to the north and west of New Guinea known as Wallacea....
     (Cracraft & Feinstein 2000).
  • Lesser Melampitta
    Lesser Melampitta

    The Lesser Melampitta, Melampitta lugubris, is a medium-sized enigmatic Terrestrial animal songbird of mountain forests of New Guinea....
    ,     Melampitta lugubris - for some time tentatively placed here; probably Orthonychidae
    Orthonychidae

    The Orthonychidae is a family of birds with a single genus, Orthonyx, which comprises three species of passerine birds Endemic to Australia and New Guinea, the Logrunners and the Chowchilla....
     (logrunners)
  • Greater Melampitta
    Greater Melampitta

    The Greater Melampitta is a species of bird in the Orthonychidae family.It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes....
    ,     "Melampitta" gigantea - probably a logrunner or pitohui
    Pitohui

    Pitohui is a genus of birds endemic to New Guinea, belonging to the family Pachycephalidae.Currently six species are classified in the genus, though current molecular genetics research suggests that significant reclassification of the Pachycephalidae may be needed....
     (Frith & Beehler 1998)


Relationship with humans

Societies of New Guinea often use bird of paradise plumes in their dress and rituals, and the plumes were very important in Europe in ladies' millinery
Millinery

Millinery refers to hats and other clothing sold by a milliner to women, men and children or the profession or business of designing, making, or selling hats, dresses, and hat trim to women....
 in past centuries. Hunting for plumes and habitat destruction have reduced some species to endangered status; habitat destruction due to deforestation
Deforestation

Deforestation is the logging or burning of trees in forested areas. There are several reasons for doing so: trees or derived charcoal can be sold as a commodity and are used by humans while cleared land is used as pasture, plantations of commodities and human settlement....
 is now the predominant threat.

Hunting birds of paradise for their plumes for the millinery trade was extensive in the late 19th and early 20th century (Cribb 1997), but today the birds enjoy legal protection and hunting is only permitted at a sustainable level to fulfill the ceremonial needs of the local tribal population. In the case of Pteridophora plumes, scavenging from old bowerbird
Bowerbird

This article is about the species of bird called bowerbird. For the band, see Bowerbirds .Bowerbirds and catbirds make up the bird family Ptilonorhynchidae....
 bowers is encouraged. When King Mahendra of Nepal
Mahendra of Nepal

Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah, King of Nepal was king of Nepal from 1955 to 1972. He was also made a List of British Field Marshals in 1960. He succeeded his father, Tribhuvan, who had, after years as a puppet of the Rana family, finally managed to break their more than 100-year hegemony over the country....
 was crowned in 1955, it was found that the bird of paradise plumes of the Nepali royal crown were in need of replacement. Due to the hunting ban, replacements were eventually procured from a confiscated shipment seized by United States Customs.

Hunting of birds of paradise has occurred for a long time, possibly since the beginning of human settlement. It is a peculiarity that among the most frequently-hunted species, males start mating opportunistically even before they grow their ornamental plumage. This may be an adaptation maintaining population levels in the face of hunting pressures, which have probably been present for 30 millennia.

The southern hemisphere constellation Apus
Apus

Apus is a faint constellation in the southern sky, first defined in the sixteenth century. Its name means "no feet" in Latin, and it represents a Birds of Paradise ....
 represents a bird of paradise.

An adult-plumaged male bird of paradise is depicted on the flag of Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands ....
. David Attenborough
David Attenborough

Sir David Frederick Attenborough Order of Merit, Order of the Companions of Honour, Royal Victorian Order, Order of the British Empire, Fellow of the Royal Society is a broadcasting and naturalist....
 has nominated some bird of paradise as his favorite animal species
Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring....
, probably referring to Wilson's Bird of Paradise
Wilson's Bird of Paradise

The Wilson's Bird of Paradise, Cicinnurus respublica, is a small, up to 21cm long, passerine bird of the Paradisaeidae family. The male is a red and black bird of paradise with a yellow mantle on its neck, light green mouth, rich blue feet and two curved violet tail feathers....
.

Charlie Parker
Charlie Parker

Charles Parker, Jr. was an American jazz saxophonist and composer.Parker is widely considered one of the most influential of jazz musicians, along with Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington....
, himself nicknamed Bird, wrote and played a song entitled "Bird of Paradise".

See also

  • Fauna of New Guinea
    Fauna of New Guinea

    The fauna of New Guinea comprises a large number of species of mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, invertebrates and amphibians.As the world?s largest and highest tropical island, New Guinea occupies less than 0.5% of world's land surface, yet supports a high percentage of global biodiversity....


External links