From Opus

Western Parotia
Photo by Kris Tindige

Genus: Parotia

[edit] Description

The six Parotias from New Guinea belong to the Birds-of-paradise.
Males have a black plumage (with various sheens and colourful breast-shields) and three elongated wire-like bare occipital plumes from behind each eye (giving them also the name Six-wired or Six-plumed Birds-of-paradise).
Females are smaller, have brownish upperparts and paler, dark barred underparts.
All species are polygynous species. The male attends a terrestrial court where it shows a complex display courtship involving a dance (see picture). The female builds and attends the nest alone.

[edit] Taxonomy

Parotia is a genus in the family Paradisaeidae.
Eastern Parotia is sometimes included as subspecies in Lawes's Parotia.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2009. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553507

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