Alternative name: Eastern Riflebird
- Ptiloris intercedens
Identification
Male 34cm (13¼ in), female 28cm (11 in). A fairly large Bird-of-paradise with a long, decurved bill and a short tail.
Male
- Black plumage
- Black filamental flank plumes
- Iridescent blue green on its crown
- Iridescent blue greenwide triangle-shaped breast shield
- Black decurved bill
- Yellow mouth
- Dark brown iris
- Black feet
Female
- Smaller with slightly shorter bill
- Brown and rufous above
- Dirty white broad supercilium and malar stripe, finely flecked buff to brown
- Whitish chin, throat flecked and spotted blackish-grey
- Whitish underparts with fine buff to brown barring
Immature males are similar to females.
Similar species
Very similar in appearance to Magnificent Riflebird. Bill slightly shorter and voice different. Range's aren't known to overlap.
Distribution
Eastern Papua New Guinea southeast from about Wanuma (Adelbert Mountains).
Common in parts of its range.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
Formerly regarded as subspecies of Magnificent Riflebird.
Habitat
Evergreen forest, forest edge, sometimes in mangroves and timber plantations. Occurs from sea-level up to 700m, sometimes higher.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds on fruits and animals (insects, spiders and myriapods).
Forages usually singly. Sometimes in groups in fruit trees, also with other Birds-of-paradise and Pitohuis.
Breeding
Breeding season variable across range. A polygynous species. The male advertises by singing from several traditional perches. The female builds and attends the nest alone.
The nest is made of large dead leaves and vine tendrils. Lays 1 - 2 eggs.
Movements
Presumably a resident species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://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. (2021) Growling Riflebird. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 31 May 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Growling_Riflebird
