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- Birds of paradise are found almost exclusively in New Guinea. Spanning over 300,000 square miles, the island is blanketed in thick tropical forests, providing a perfect home for these strange, remarkable birds.
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- New Guinea houses the third largest rainforest in the world, after the Amazon and Congo.
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- During a display, the King bird of paradise will puff up his plumes and flick his two wire-like tail quills from side to side.
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- Greater birds of paradise often display in groups, inviting the females to choose the most impressive from a wide assortment of males. This is known as lek-mating.
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- The Parotia bird of paradise is also known as the Six-plumed bird of paradise because of his six head quills.
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- Parotia’s have some of the most complex courtship displays in the animal kingdom. During his hypnotic dance, the male adjusts his flank plumes to resemble a tutu before performing a series of movements on a cleared patch of forest floor.
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- To impress the female, the Magnificent bird of paradise gently pulses, puffing out his emerald breast feathers.
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- The Magnificent bird of paradise has two curlicue feathers sprouting from its tail.
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- One of the defining features of the Wilson’s bird of paradise is his lack of head plumes, revealing a bright blue skin tone.
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- Some males completely transform themselves during their displays. The Superb bird of paradise snaps his breast and back plumes forward until his head is surrounded by a giant black and blue ellipse.
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- Bird of paradise plumes are highly valued by the New Guinea people and adorn the spectacular headdresses used in traditional dances and religious ceremonies.
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- More than simply decorative, the plumes are treated as currency in many tribal communities.
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- By tracking what plumes are most popular among the locals, conservationists can better assess what birds of paradise are most in need of protection.
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- The Blue bird of paradise is a soloist, preferring to display without other males nearby. During his display, the Blue Bird hangs upside down and fans out his blue and violet flank plumes.
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- When approached by a female, the male bird of paradise releases a soft and low buzzing sound.
4 Responses to “Photo Gallery”
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I just watched the program on Birds Of Paradise and enjoyed it very much.
I accessed the web site to see what other shows or information you had, The most Disturbing Thing
is putting up a Photo Gallery of these birds and LOCKING Them so the photos can’t be Downloaded.
What A Waste Of Time.
Is There A book of these Photos available.
Please Reply If Possible
Thanks for Your Time
Robert Sloter
Hi Robert, One suggestion I have is you may do “Screen Shot” or capture with your computer in order to enjoy these photos later on. Hope this helps. HCS
very nice shots
With Windows 7 just right click with the mouse and select “Save Image As” and select your destination folder, it works.