Birds of Paradise … Bird of Paradise Photo Gallery
Red Bird of Paradise (Paradisaea rubra), also Cendrawasih Merah, is a bird of paradise in the genus Paradisaea, family Paradisaeidae.
Description
Large, up to 33cm long, brown and yellow with a dark brown iris, grey legs and yellow bill.
The male has an emerald green face, a pair of elongated black corkscrew-shaped tail wires, dark green feather pompoms above each eye and a train of glossy crimson red plumes with whitish tips at either side of the breast.
The male measures up to 72cm long, including the ornamental red plumes that require at least six years to fully attain.
The female is similar but smaller in size, with a dark brown face and has no ornamental red plumes.
Distribution
An Indonesian endemic, the Red Bird of Paradise is distributed to lowland rainforests of Waigeo and Batanta islands of West Papua. This species shares its home with another bird of paradise, the Wilson’s Bird of Paradise. Hybridisation between these two species is not recorded but is expected because it is recorded for many other birds of paradise.
Breeding / Nesting
As with other sexually dimorphic birds of paradise, the male Red Bird of Paradise is polygamous. It also has one of the most complex courtship display of the whole family. On high intensity display, he performs a butterfly dance, spreading and fluttering his wings like a giant butterfly.
Diet
The diet consists mainly of fruits, berries and arthropods.
Status
Due to ongoing habitat lost and exploitation, the Red Bird of Paradise is evaluated as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix II of CITES.
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