Alternative names: Emperor of Germany Bird-of-Paradise; White-plumed Bird-of-Paradise
- Paradisaea guilielmi
Identification
Male 33cm (excluding tail wires), female 31cm.
Male
- Dark emerald green face, throat and upper breast
- Pale straw-yellow rest of head and mantle
- Dark brown with maroon wash rest of upperparts
- Dark brown tail with two grossly elongated centrail tail feathers, forming two long wires
- Large white flank plumes
- Dark maroon lower breast, dark dusky brown belly
- White patch on lower belly
- Dark reddish-brown eye
- Bluish-grey bill
- Dull flesh-brown to brownish pink legs
Female
- Smaller and without elongated tail-feathers or flank-feathers
- Dark brown crown, face, throat and breast
- Duller yellow rest of head and mantle
- Dark brown rest of upperparts
- Mid-brown lower breast and belly
Juveniles undescribed, immature males similar to females.
Distribution
Endemic to the Huon Peninsula in northeast New Guinea.
Has a very small range. Still considered fairly common but population may be in rapid decline due to loss of habitat. Replaced in disturbed habitats by increasing Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
Hybrids with Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise and Lesser Bird-of-Paradise recorded.
Habitat
Primary hill forest. Occurs at 450 - 1500m, mainly at 670 - 1350m.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds mostly on fruits, takes also some arthropods.
Breeding
Breeding season at least from September to December. A polygynous species. Up to 6 males form a lek in large trees. The display involves several postures and a dance phase.
The female builds and attends the nest alone. One described nest was made of creeper tendrils and vines. Lays 1 - 2 eggs.
No information about movements.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2012. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2012. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
- 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) Emperor Bird-of-Paradise. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 7 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Emperor_Bird-of-Paradise
