Alternative name: Splendid Bird-of-paradise
- Astrapia splendidissima
Identification
Male 39cm, female 37cm. A medium-sized Astrapia with a long, graduated tail.
Male
- Iridescent metallic yellowish-green cronw, nape and mantle
- Metallic blue-green chin and throat with blue to purple sheen
- Velvety black back with magenta sheen
- Matt black rump and uppertail-coverts
- Dark greyish-brown upperwing
- Long, blackish-brown tail with variable extent of white on bases and shafts of inner four pairs of rectrices. Black broad spatulate tips at end
- Broad iridiscent coppery-red gorget extending narrower up breast side to side of face beneath eye
- Silky-like oily dark green rest of underparts
- Dark brown to blackish-brown eye
- Shiny black bill
Female
- Brownish-black head, nape and throat with bluish-green iridescent gloss
- Drab blackish-brown on upperparts and down to chest
- Below chest finely barred dusky brown and buff
Juveniles are similar to females but duller and less black above.
Distribution
Mountains of New Guinea.
Common and widespread in parts of its small range.
Taxonomy
Sometimes also treated as monotypic. Does possibly hybridize with Ribbon-tailed Astrapia.
Subspecies
Two subspecies recognized[1]:
- A. s. splendidissima in Weyland Mountains and Charles Louis Range east to Lake Paniai in western New Guinea
- A. s. helios from east of Lake Paniai east to Hindenburg Mountains and at least to Victor Emanuel Range
Habitat
Montane and subalpine forest, also at forest edge and in secondary growth. Occurs at 1750 - 3450m, mainly at 2100 - 2700m.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds mostly on fruits but takes also animals like insects, frogs and lizards.
Usually seen foraging singly, sometimes in small groups of up to three birds.
Breeding
Breeding recorded in March, August, October and November. Males have possibly a lek where they try to attract females. Only little information about social behaviour.
Movements
Presumably a resident species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2021. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2021. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- 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. (2025) Splendid Astrapia. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 15 January 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Splendid_Astrapia
