male Brown Sicklebill by Markus Lilje (Epimachus meyeri)

This, believe it or not, is a bird - a displaying male Brown Sicklebill to be precise. Belonging to the bird-of-paradise family, this fairly common forest species dwells in the lush, humid mountains of New Guinea, and uses this fancy display posturing to hopefully woo the attention of prospective mate. Markus Lilje was lucky to view and photograph this interesting spectacle on a tour through Papua New Guinea, the eastern half of New Guinea Island.