Paradisaeidae

Paradisaeidae
Greater Bird-of-paradise (Paradisaea apoda)
Scientific Classification
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Order	Passeriformes Passeri
Family	Paradisaeidae

Paradisaeidae or birds-of-paradise, is a family of passerines. The majority of species are found in eastern Indonesia, Papua New Guineaand eastern Australia. The members of this family are perhaps best known for the plumage of the males of the sexually dimorphic species (the majority), in particular the highly elongated and elaborate feathers extending from the beak, wings, tail or head. For the most part they are confined to dense rainforest habitat. The diet of all species is dominated by fruit and to a lesser extent arthropods. The birds-of-paradise have a variety of breeding systems, ranging from monogamy to lek-type polygamy.

A number of species are threatened by hunting and habitat loss.

Description

Birds-of-paradise are closely related to the corvids. Birds-of-paradise range in size from the king bird-of-paradise at 50 g (1.8 oz) and 15 cm (5.9 in) to the curl-crested manucode at 44 cm (17 in) and 430 g (15 oz). The male black sicklebill, with its long tail, is the longest species at 110 cm (43 in). In most species, the tails of the males are larger and longer than the female, the differences ranging from slight to extreme. The wings are rounded and in some species structurally modified on the males in order to make sound. There is considerable variation in the family with regard to bill shape. Bills may be long and decurved, as in the sicklebills and riflebirds, or small and slim like the Astrapias. As with body size bill size varies between the sexes, although species where the females have larger bills than the male are more common, particularly in the insect eating species.

Plumage variation between the sexes is closely related to breeding system. The manucodes and paradise-crow, which are socially monogamous, are sexually monomorphic. So are the two species of Paradigalla, which are polygamous. All these species have generally black plumage with varying amounts of green and blue iridescence. The female plumage of the dimorphic species is typically drab to blend in with their habitat, unlike the bright attractive colors found on the males. Younger males of these species have female-like plumage, and sexual maturity takes a long time, with the full adult plumage not being obtained for up to seven years. This affords the younger males the protection from predators of more subdued colours, and also reduces hostility from adult males.

Habitat and Distribution

The centre of bird-of-paradise diversity is the large island of New Guinea; all but two genera are found in New Guinea. The two that are not are the monotypic genera Lycocorax and Semioptera, both of which are endemic to the Maluku Islands, to the west of New Guinea. Of the riflebirds in the genus Ptiloris, two are endemic to the coastal forests of eastern Australia, one occurs in both Australia and New Guinea, and one is only found in New Guinea. The only other genus to have a species outside New Guinea is Manucodia, one representative of which is found in the extreme north of Queensland. The remaining species are restricted to New Guinea and some of the surrounding islands. Many species have highly restricted ranges, particularly a number of species with restricted habitat types such as mid-montane forest (like the black sicklebill) or island endemics (like the Wilson's bird-of-paradise).

The majority of birds-of-paradise live in tropical forests, including rainforest, swamps and moss forest, nearly all of them solitary tree dwellers. Several species have been recorded in coastal mangroves. The southernmost species, the paradise riflebird of Australia, lives in sub-tropical and temperate wet forests. As a group the manucodes are the most plastic in their habitat requirements, with in particular the glossy-mantled manucode inhabiting both forest and open savanna woodland. Mid-montane habitats are the most commonly occupied habitat, with thirty of the forty species occurring in the 1000–2000 m altitudinal band.

Behavior and Ecology

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the birds-of-paradise is dominated by fruit and arthropods, although small amounts of nectar and small vertebrates may also be taken. The ratio of the two food types varies by species, with fruit predominating in some species, and arthropods dominating the diet in others. The ratio of the two will affect other aspects of the behaviour of the species, for example frugivorous species tend to feed in the forest canopy, whereas insectivores may feed lower down in the middle storey. Frugivores are more social than the insectivores, which are more solitary and territorial.

Taxonomy and Systematics

Genus: Lycocorax
 Paradise-crow (Bonaparte, 1850) (Lycocorax pyrrhopterus)
Genus: Manucodia
 Glossy-mantled Manucode (Lesson, 1830) (Manucodia ater)
 Crinkle-collared Manucode (J.R. Forster, 1781) (Manucodia chalybatus)
 Curl-crested Manucode (Sclater, 1876) (Manucodia comrii)
 Jobi Manucode (Salvadori, 1876) (Manucodia jobiensis)
Genus: Phonygammus
 Trumpet Manucode (Lesson & Garnot, 1826) (Phonygammus keraudrenii)
Genus: Paradigalla
 Short-tailed Paradigalla (Rothschild & Hartert, 1911) (Paradigalla brevicauda)
 Long-tailed Paradigalla (Lesson, 1835) (Paradigalla carunculata)
Genus: Astrapia
 Ribbon-tailed Astrapia (Stonor, 1939) (Astrapia mayeri)
 Arfak Astrapia (Gmelin, 1788) (Astrapia nigra)
 Huon Astrapia (Förster, 1906) (Astrapia rothschildi)
 Splendid Astrapia (Rothschild, 1895) (Astrapia splendidissima)
 Princess Stephanie's Astrapia (Finsch & A.B. Meyer, 1885) (Astrapia stephaniae)
Genus: Parotia
 Bronze Parotia (Kleinschmidt, 1897) (Parotia berlepschi)
 Queen Carola's Parotia (Meyer, 1894) (Parotia carolae)
 Eastern Parotia (De Vis, 1891) (Parotia helenae)
 Lawes's Parotia (E.P. Ramsay, 1885) (Parotia lawesii)
 Western Parotia (Pennant, 1781) (Parotia sefilata)
 Wahnes's Parotia (Rothschild, 1906) (Parotia wahnesi)
Genus: Pteridophora
 King of Saxony Bird-of-paradise (Meyer, 1894) (Pteridophora alberti)
Genus: Lophorina
 Superb Bird-of-paradise (Forster, 1781) (Lophorina superba)
Genus: Ptiloris
 Subgenus: Craspedophora
  Magnificent Riflebird (Vieillot, 1819) (Ptiloris magnificus)
 Subgenus: Ptiloris
  Growling Riflebird (Sharpe, 1882) (Ptiloris intercedens)
  Paradise Riflebird (Swainson, 1825) (Ptiloris paradiseus)
  Victoria's Riflebird (Gould, 1850) (Ptiloris victoriae)
Genus: Epimachus
 Black Sicklebill (Hermann, 1783) (Epimachus fastosus)
 Brown Sicklebill (Finsch & A. B. Meyer, 1885) (Epimachus meyeri)
Genus: Drepanornis
 Black-billed Sicklebill (Sclater, 1873) (Drepanornis albertisi)
 Pale-billed Sicklebill (Oustalet, 1880) (Drepanornis bruijnii)
Genus: Cicinnurus
 Subgenus: Diphyllodes
  Magnificent Bird-of-paradise (Pennant, 1781) (Cicinnurus magnificus)
  Wilson's Bird-of-paradise (Bonaparte, 1850) (Cicinnurus respublica)
 Subgenus: Cicinnurus
  King Bird-of-paradise (Linnaeus, 1758) (Cicinnurus regius)
Genus: Semioptera
 Standardwing (G.R. Gray, 1859) (Semioptera wallacii)
Genus: Seleucidis
 Twelve-wired Bird-of-paradise (Daudin, 1800) (Seleucidis melanoleucus)
Genus: Paradisaea
 Subgenus: Paradisaea
  Greater Bird-of-paradise (Linnaeus, 1758) (Paradisaea apoda)
  Goldie's Bird-of-paradise (Salvin & Godman, 1883) (Paradisaea decora)
  Emperor Bird-of-paradise (Cabanis, 1888) (Paradisaea guilielmi)
  Lesser Bird-of-paradise (Shaw, 1809) (Paradisaea minor)
  Raggiana Bird-of-paradise (P.L. Sclater, 1873) (Paradisaea raggiana)
  Red Bird-of-paradise (Daudin, 1800) (Paradisaea rubra)
 Subgenus: Paradisornis
  Blue Bird-of-paradise (Finsch & A.B. Meyer, 1885) (Paradisaea rudolphi)

Hybrids

• Main article: List of hybrid birds-of-paradise

Hybrid birds-of-paradise may occur when individuals of different species, that look similar and have overlapping ranges, confuse each other for their own species and crossbreed.

When Erwin Stresemann realised that hybridisation among birds-of-paradise might be an explanation as to why so many of the described species were so rare, he examinined many controversial specimens and, during the 1920s and 1930s, published several papers on his hypothesis. Many of the species described in the late 19th and early 20th centuries are now generally considered to be hybrids, though some are still subject to dispute; their status is not likely to be settled definitely without genetic examination of museum specimens.