Lesser bird-of-paradise
| Lesser bird-of-paradise | |
|---|---|
| |
| Male | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Paradisaeidae |
| Genus: | Paradisaea |
| Species: | P. minor
|
| Binomial name | |
| Paradisaea minor Shaw, 1809
| |
The lesser bird-of-paradise (Paradisaea minor) is a bird-of-paradise in the genus Paradisaea.
Description[edit]
The lesser bird-of-paradise is medium-sized, up to 32 cm (13 in), maroon-brown with a yellow crown and brownish-yellow upper back. The male has a dark emerald-green throat, a pair of long tail-wires and is adorned with ornamental flank plumes which are deep yellow at their base and fade outwards into white. The female is a maroon bird with a dark-brown head and whitish underparts. Further study is required,[2] but it seems likely that birds-of-paradise also possess toxins in their skins, derived from their insect prey.
It resembles the larger greater bird-of-paradise, but the male of that species has a dark chest, whereas the female is entirely brown (no whitish underparts).
Breeding[edit]
The males are polygamous, and perform courtship displays in leks. The female usually lays two pinkish eggs with dark markings in a nest in a tree high above ground. Its diet consists mainly of fruits and insects.
Distribution[edit]
The lesser bird-of-paradise is distributed throughout forests of northern New Guinea, and the nearby islands of Misool and Yapen. Widespread and common throughout its large range, the lesser bird-of-paradise is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix II of CITES.
References[edit]
- ^ BirdLife International (2018). "Paradisaea minor". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22706245A130413448. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22706245A130413448.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ Venomous Animals of the World, Steve Backshall; 2007, New Holland Publishers (UK), Ltd.
External links[edit]
- Explore Species: Lesser bird-of-paradise at eBird (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
