Alternative names: Rothschild's Astrapia; Rothschild's Bird-of-paradise; Huon Bird-of-paradise
- Astrapia rothschildi
Identification
Male 69cm, female 47cm. A large Astrapia with a very long, broad and graduated tail.
Male
- Black head and nape with green-blue iridescence
- Iridescent dark green hindneck and mantle feathers form a distinctive cowl
- Blackish back with olive-green sheen
- Blackish rump
- Black upperwing with blue-purple sheen
- Velvety black uppertail with bluish-purple to pinkish-purple sheen
- Black breast bordered below by strongly iridescent fine coppery-orange gorget
- Oily dark green lower breast and belly
- Dark brown eye
- Shiny black bill
Female
- Slight dull blue iridescent sheen on head and upper breast
- Sooty black rest of plumage
- Fine, inconspicuous pale barring on abdomen and undertail-coverts
Juveniles undescribed.
Distribution
Endemic to the Huon Peninsula in north-eastern New Guinea.
A little known species with a restricted range.
Taxonomy
A monotypic species.
Habitat
Mountain forests at 1460 - 3010m.
Behaviour
Diet little known. Feeds on fruits and animals.
Breeding recorded from October to November, display only recorded in early February. The male performs a complex courtship display.
The nest is a shallow cup amde of vines, rootlets and creepers. Lays 1 egg.
No information about movements.
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. (2021) Huon Astrapia. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 31 May 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Huon_Astrapia
