Alternative names: Prince Rudolph's Blue Bird-of-paradise; Archduke Rudolph's Blue Bird-of-paradise
- Paradisaea rudolphi
Identification
Male 30cm (excluding tail wires), female 30cm. An unmistakable Bird-of-paradise.
Male
- Jet-black head, neck and mantle
- Silvery-white broken eyering
- Blackish back and rump with iridescent blue-green, blue and indigo-blue sheen
- Blue wings
- Purple-blue uppertail with two grossly elongated central tail feathers forming to ribbons
- Elongated filamental flank plumes, dark purple-blue at base, becoming blue and purplish-blue to mauve distally
- Matt-blackish underparts with some dark blue iridescence
- Dark brown eye
- Ivory bill
- Greenish-yellow mouth
- Purplish-grey legs
Female
- Smaller and without elongated tail-feathers or flank-feathers
- Head and upperparts similar to male but duller
- Chestnut-brown underparts
Juveniles are similar to females.
Distribution
Endemic to eastern New Guinea.
An uncommon restricted-range species. Population estimated at fewer than 10'000 birds.
Taxonomy
Two subspecies are known[1]:
- P. r. rudolphi:
- Mountains of south-eastern Papua New Guinea
- P. r. margaritae:
- Mountains of central Papua New Guinea
An additional subspecies, ampla has been described, but is not often considered valid.
Hybrids with Lawes's Parotia and Raggiana Bird-of-paradise recorded.
Habitat
Lower montane forest, forest edge and old secondary growth. Occurs at 1100 - 2000m, mainly at 1400 - 1800m.
Behaviour
Breeding
Breeding at any time of year, mainly July to Feburary. A polygynous species. Solitary males advertise from a traditonal high perch. The display by hanging upside-down on a branch and spreading his feathers into a triangular shape, exposing a black oval patch surrounded by red on the breast.
The female builds and attends the nest alone. The nest is a deep circular bowl made of stems of epiphytic orchids, pandanus leaves, fibre of palm leaves and needles of casuarinas. It's placed 4 - 19m above the ground in a tree or a bush. Lays 1 egg.
Diet
Feeds mostly on fruits (especially figs). Takes also some animals, mostly arthropods, possibly lizards.
May guard and defend fruit trees (especially females).
Movements
Presumably resident.
References
- 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.
- 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
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Blue Bird-of-paradise. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 27 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Blue_Bird-of-paradise
