Lesser Bird of Paradise
Encyclopedia
The Lesser Bird-of-paradise, Paradisaea minor, is a bird-of-paradise in the genus Paradisaea
.
prey.
It resembles the larger Greater Bird-of-paradise, but the male of that species has a dark chest, whereas the female is entirely brown (no whitish underparts).
with dark markings in a nest
in a tree high above ground. Its diet consists mainly of fruit
s and insects.
, and the nearby islands of Misool
and Yapen
.
Widespread and common throughout its large range, the Lesser Bird-of-paradise is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List
of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix II of CITES.
Paradisaea
The genus Paradisaea consists of seven species of birds-of-paradise . The genus is found on the island of New Guinea as well as the nearby islands groups of the Aru Islands, D'Entrecasteaux Islands and West Papua Islands. The species inhabit a range of forest types from sea level to mid-montane...
.
Description
The Lesser Bird-of-paradise is medium-sized, up to 32 cm-long, maroon-brown with a yellow crown and brownish-yellow upper back. The male has a dark emerald-green throat, a pair of long tail-wires and is adorned with ornamental flank plumes which are deep yellow at their base and fade outwards into white. The female is a maroon bird with a dark-brown head and whitish underparts. Further study is required, but it seems likely that birds of paradise also possess toxins in their skins, derived from their insectInsect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
prey.
It resembles the larger Greater Bird-of-paradise, but the male of that species has a dark chest, whereas the female is entirely brown (no whitish underparts).
Breeding
The males are polygamous, and perform courtship displays in leks. The female usually lays two pinkish eggsBird egg
Bird eggs are laid by females and incubated for a time that varies according to the species; a single young hatches from each egg. Average clutch sizes range from one to about 17...
with dark markings in a nest
Bird nest
A bird nest is the spot in which a bird lays and incubates its eggs and raises its young. Although the term popularly refers to a specific structure made by the bird itself—such as the grassy cup nest of the American Robin or Eurasian Blackbird, or the elaborately woven hanging nest of the...
in a tree high above ground. Its diet consists mainly of fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
s and insects.
Distribution
The Lesser Bird-of-paradise is distributed throughout forests of northern New GuineaNew Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, and the nearby islands of Misool
Misool
Misool is one of the four major islands in the Raja Ampat Islands in West Papua , Indonesia. Its area is 2034 km². The highest point is 535 m and the main town is Waigama, on the island's northern coast, and Lilinta....
and Yapen
Yapen
Yapen is an island of western New Guinea, Indonesia. The Yapen Strait separates Yapen and the Biak Islands to the north. It is in Cenderawasih Bay. To the west is Mios Num Strait between it and Mios Num Island, and the east Kurudu Island. The southeast are the Amboi Islands and the southwest...
.
Widespread and common throughout its large range, the Lesser Bird-of-paradise is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix II of CITES.