Alternative names: Count Raggi's Bird-of-Paradise; Red-plumed Bird-of-Paradise
- Paradisaea raggiana
Identification
Male 34cm; 13½ in (excluding tail wires), female 33cm (13 in)
Male
- Emerald-green lores , forehead, ear-coverts, malar area, chin and throat
- Pale orangy-yellow rest of head, including nape, hindneck and mantle
- Narrow yellow collar across lower throat, separating green of throat and blackish-brown of breast
- Dark brown washed maroon rest of upperparts with discrete pale orangy-yellow wingbar
- Brown tail with two grossly elongated central feathers, forming two wires
- Grossly elongated filamental flank plumes crimson to crimson-yellow. Almost as long as wires
- Blackish-brown upper breast, grading to medium brown and pinkish mid-brown on belly
Photo by djringer
Daraia Village, Morehead District, Western Province, Papua New Guinea, July 2006
- Yellow eye
- Bluish-grey bill
- Pinkish-flesh mouth
- Grey brown feet
Female
- Smaller and without elongated tail-feathers or flank-feathers
- Dark brown face, ear-coverts, chin and throat
- Dark buff-yellow crown, rear and side of neck and narro foreneck-collar
- Pinkish light-brown underparts
Juveniles are entirely dark brownish. Immature males are similar to females.
Distribution
Endemic to eastern New Guinea.
Common and widespread
Taxonomy
May form a superspecies with Lesser Bird-of-Paradise, Greater Bird-of-Paradise, Goldie's Bird-of-Paradise and Red Bird-of-Paradise.
Hybrids with Lesser Bird-of-Paradise, Greater Bird-of-Paradise, Emperor Bird-of-Paradise and Blue Bird-of-Paradise recorded.
Subspecies
Four subspecies are recognized[1]:
- P. r. raggiana:
- Southern watershed of south-eastern Papua New Guinea
- P. r. salvadorii:
- Lowlands of southern Papua New Guinea
- P. r. intermedia:
- Northern coast of south-eastern Papua New Guinea
- P. r. augustaevictoriae:
- New Guinea (Huon Peninsula to Waria and lower Mambare rivers)
Habitat
Lowland and hill rainforest, secondary growth, forest edges, gardens and casuarina trees in deforested areas. Occurs from sea-level up to 1500m.
Behaviour
Breeding
Breeding season at least form April to December. A polygynous species. Up to 10 males form a lek in large spreading trees, sometimes shared with Greater Bird-of-paradise. The display involves several postures and a dance phase.
The female builds and attends the nest alone. The nest is an open bowl made of leaves, vine stems, rootlets, orchid or fern and fibres. It's placed 2 - 11m above the ground in a tree. Lays 1 - 2 eggs.
Diet
Feeds mostly on fruits, takes also some arthropods.
Joins mixed foraging flocks with Papuan Babbler, Pithohuis and other Birds-of-paradise.
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. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. 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. (2024) Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 25 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Raggiana_Bird-of-Paradise
