The
Black Sicklebill,
Epimachus fastuosus, is a large bird of paradise of midmountain forests of
New GuineaNew Guinea, located north of Australia, is the world's second largest island. It became separated from the Australian mainland when the area now known as the Torres Strait flooded after the last glacial period. The name Papua has long been associated with the island...
. The male has black plumage with an iridescent green, blue and purple scale-like feathers, red
irisThe iris is a membrane in the eye, responsible for controlling the diameter and size of the pupil and the amount of light reaching the retina. "Eye color" is the color of the iris, which can be green, blue, or brown. In some cases it can be hazel...
, bright yellow mouth, long curved black bill, huge
sabreThe sabre or saber is a kind of backsword that usually but not always has a curved, single-edged blade and a rather large hand guard, covering the knuckles of the hand as well as the thumb and forefinger...
-shaped tail and large erectile fan-like plumes on sides of breast. The female is smaller than the male. It has a reddish brown plumage with brown iris and buff below.
With up to 110 cm in length, the male Black Sicklebill is the longest member of Paradisaeidae, though the
Curl-crested ManucodeThe 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. It has curled head feathering and twisted central tail feathers. Both...
has a larger body. The diet consists mainly of fruits and arthropods. The male is polygamous and performs a horizontal courtship display with the
pectoralPectoral, from the Latin pectoralis , "pertaining to the breast/chest", can refer to:* Pectoral armor, a disc breastplate used in antiquity* Pectoral cross, a cross worn on the chest...
plumes raised around its head.
In the wild, the bird has hybridised with the
Arfak AstrapiaThe Arfak Astrapia, Astrapia nigra is a large, approximately 76cm long, black bird of paradise with an iridescent purple, green and bronze plumage. The male has a very long broad tail, velvety black breast feathers and extremely complex head plumage...
creating offspring that were once considered a distinct species, the
Elliot's Sicklebill,
Epimachus ellioti. While some believe this was a valid species that is possibly critically endangered or extinct, it is generally viewed by most mainstream ornithologists as a hybrid.
Due to ongoing habitat loss, small population size and hunted in some areas for food and its tail feathers, the Black Sicklebill is classified as
VulnerableA vulnerable species is a species which is likely to become endangered unless the circumstances threatening its survival and reproduction improve...
on the
IUCN Red ListThe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1948, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources is the world's main authority on the conservation...
of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix II of CITES.
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