Bird-of-Paradise Taxonomy: Species, Hybrids and Display Types | Sea Life, Islands and Oceania

BIRD-OF-PARADISE TAXONOMY

from the Cornell Ornithology Lab

Birds-of-paradise are members of the family Paradisaeidae of the order Passeriformes. The majority of species are found in eastern Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and eastern Australia. For many years birds-of-paradise were regarded as being closely related to the bowerbirds. Today though both are treated as being part of the Australasian lineage Corvida, the two are now thought to be only distantly related. The closest evolutionary relatives of birds-of-paradise are the crow and jay family Corvidae, the monarch flycatchers Monarchidae and the Australian mudnesters Struthideidae. [Source: Wikipedia]

A 2009 study that examined the mitochondrial DNA of all bird-of-paradise species to determine their relationships within the family and to their nearest relatives estimated that the bird-of-paradise family emerged 24 million years ago, earlier than previous estimates. The study identified five clades within the family, and placed the split between the first clade and all the other birds-of-paradise at around 10 million years ago.

1) The first clades of birds-of-paradise contains the monogamous manucodes and paradise-crow, 2) The second clade includes the parotias and the King of Saxony bird-of-paradise. 3) The third clade provisionally contains several genera, including Seleucidis, the Drepanornis sicklebills, Semioptera, Ptiloris and Lophorina, although some of these are questionable. 4) The fourth clade includes the Epimachus sicklebills, Paradigalla and the astrapias. 5) The final fifth clade includes the Cicinnurus and the Paradisaea birds-of-paradise.

The limits, make up and members of the bird-of-paradise family have been the subject of revision as well. For example, the three species of satinbird (the genera Cnemophilus and Loboparadisea) were treated as a subfamily of the birds-of-paradise even though their mouth and foot morphology and nesting habits were different. A 2000 study moved them to a separate family closer to the berrypeckers and longbills (Melanocharitidae). The same study found that the Macgregor's bird-of-paradise was actually a member of the large Australasian honeyeater family.

Bird-of-Paradise Species

King of Saxony bird-of-paradise

There are 45 species of birds-of-paradise in 17 genera. It used to be thought there were 43 but careful studies have found that some communities of birds that look quite different are the same species. After this the number of species was reduced to 39 around 2010. Since then new species have been discovered in the field and in the lab through careful DNA analysis.

Jennifer S. Holland wrote in National Geographic, “ Birds-of-paradise perch on an improbable branch of the avian family tree, the flashy cousins of straitlaced ravens and crows. They began splitting off from their bland kin millions of years ago, evolving into today's eclectic species. Of these, most live only on New Guinea and its satellite islands. [Source: Jennifer S. Holland, National Geographic, July 2007 ]

The species of birds-of-paradise include tiny, starling-sized birds and big, crow-sized birds; birds in vivid blues, greens, and reds; birds with head plumes, tail plumes, back plumes, chest plumes, and no plumes; mountain birds and swamp birds; branch dancers, pole dancers, ballerina dancers. [Source: birdsofparadiseproject.org Cornell University - ]

In addition to their discovererers, the names and scientific names of many birds-of-paradises reference royals or aristocrats. That is because the custom of zoologists during the 19th century when many new species were discovered was to name new species after some king, queen or aristocrat, who sometimes supported the discoverers and sometimes not. This habit greatly irritated Charles Lucien Bonaparte, Napoleon's nephew and a republican idealist, who discovered the Wilson's bird-of-paradise and named it Cicinnurus respublica to honor the republic and not royalty. [Source: Wikipedia]

Hybrid Birds-of-Paradise

Hybridization of birds-of-paradise is fairy common. It may occur when individuals of different species, that look similar and have overlapping ranges, confuse each other for their own species and crossbreed. [Source: Wikipedia]

In the 1920s Erwin Stresemann came to the conclusion that that hybridisation among birds-of-paradise could be an explanation as to why so many of the described species were so rare. He examined many controversial specimens through the 1930s and published several papers on his hypothesis. Many of the species described in the late 19th and early 20th centuries are now generally considered to be hybrids, though some are still subject to dispute; their status is not likely to be settled definitely without genetic examination of museum specimens. Some hybrids are listed below.

Illustration of Duivenbode's riflebird, a presumed hybrid between the magnificent riflebird and lesser lophorina

Wonderful birds-of-paradise are hybrids of twelve-wire birds-of-paradise (Seleucidis melanoleucus) and less birds-of-paradise (Paradisaea minor). They were originally described as species Paradisaea mirabilis Reichenow in 1901.

Blood's birds-of-paradise are hybrids of Raggiana birds-of-paradise (Paradisaea raggiana salvadorii) and blue birds-of-paradise (P. rudolphi margaritae). They were originally described as the species Paradisaea bloodi Iredale in 1948.

Rothschild's birds-of-paradise are hybrids of Raggiana birds-of-paradise (Paradisaea raggiana augustaevictoriae) and lesser birds-of-paradise (P. minor finschi). They were originally described as species Paradisaea mixta Rothschild in 1921.

For more hybrids See the Wikipedia article with a list of them wikipedia.org

Tree-Displaying Birds-of-Paradise

If you go at the right time, it is not all that difficult to see birds-of-paradise perform their magical courtship dance because they go to the same trees every year to do it. As well, dozens of males, which are the ones that do the dance, may show up at one tree. Some birds use the same dancing trees generation after generation. The fact they all go to same tree year after year may have had something to do with why they were so easy to hunt in the 1920s at the peak of when their plumes were used for hats. The trade in birds-of-paradise was also banned in the 1920s to protect them. [Source: David Attenborough, “The Life of Birds,” Princeton University Press, 1998]

David Attenborough wrote in “The Life of Birds”: "perching in his display branch at the middle of his territory, [it] suddenly erects his tail fan of feathers so that they frame the whole of his head. At the same time he spreadshis long black tail and changes from a shape that is recognizably bird-like in a sinister looming rectangle. Then he sways and tilts sideways until he is almost horizontal."

The king bird-of-paradise is the smallest bird-of-paradise. It is scarlet with white underparts and two quills projecting beyond his tail each tipped with an iridescent green disc. Attenborough wrote, "He displays by first erecting tufts on his chest and then suddenly toppling down so that he hangs upside down from his branch with his wings open and vibrating. He remains there for a few seconds, then he closes them and with muscular movements of his legs swings his body like a pendulum so that his two tail quills thrash from side to side."

The King of Saxony bird-of-paradise has such extraordinary feathers that when scientists first saw them (before they saw the bird), they thought they were forgeries. Instead of normal barbs and hooks, the feather contain deep blue platelets that resemble enamel. "His favored display perch is always a thin dangling vine. When he performs, he throws his two extraordinary plumes forward and then, flexing his legs, he kicks repeatedly downwards, like a child trying to make a swing rise higher and higher until the whole vine is bouncing."

Group Tree-Displaying Birds-of-Paradise

Birds-of-paradise that do their displays in trees in groups were the first to become known in the West and are still the most famous. The males that do the display have "bunches of gauzy plumes that sprout out from their flanks beneath their wings and extend well beyond their tails." Typically about 16 birds appear about 20 meters feet above the ground. Some clear away leaves so they can do their dance. Observations of these birds-of-paradise show that almost without fail all the females chose and mate with the same male. [Source: David Attenborough, “The Life of Birds,” Princeton University Press, 1998]

Groups of male birds-of-paradises are called leks. As many as a dozen males will do their displays simultaneously in a tree that has been used for generations. "Their display involves flapping their wings, shrieking and fluffing out their gorgeous plumes and they keep doing it intermittently throughout the day. The arrival of a female, however, sends them into an ecstatic frenzy. They lower their heads and erect their plumes over their backs in a fountain of color. But each bird stays on his own branch of the tree that he uses every day. It is for the females to fly down and join one of them.

Wallace's standardwing is the most westerly of all birds-of-paradise. Possessing a purple cravat on it breast and two long white feathers that dangles from the middle of each wing, it lives on the island of Halmahera and is so rare that its display was observed in the 19th century and was not seen again until fairly recently. The display is done by large numbers of males on a single tree.

Describing them, David Attenborough wrote in “The Life of Birds,” "There were between thirty and forty of them. They displayed to one another by erecting their cravat horizontally so that it glinted, purple changing to green, and twirling the white standard in their wings. Those on their periphery of this great assembly called attention to themselves by display fights, shooting vertically in the air on rapidly beating wings, floating for a few seconds at the top of their jump with wings rigidly outstretched and then shrinking down again to resume their quarrelsome displays with other males." After all this, females seem to prefer copulating with a single bird on a single branch.”

In an "exploded lek" males spread out over a large area to perform their displays to attract females. They are separated from each other by significant distances but still within earshot of each other. In traditional leks males are closely grouped together in a visible display area. The term "explode" is used because they are scattered over a large area. Females flit about checking out the different displays, shopping around for a suitable mate.

Ground-Displaying Birds-of-Paradise

Bird-of-paradise males that do their display rituals on the ground first clear away a stage area on the forest floor by picking up leaves and clipping branches of bushes that are in the way. If you come across one of these stages and want to see if the bird is still around just throw a twig in it. If the bird is there he will come out and, in an agitated manner, remove it. [Source: David Attenborough,“The Life of Birds,” Princeton University Press, 1998]

The Wilson's bird-of-paradise has a blue bald head, a yellow patch on the back of its neck and an iridescent green beast. "When he displays, he clings to the vertical stem of a sprig and distends his breast feathers into a shining green shield fanned out at right angles to his body."

The parotia bird-of-paradise is rather subdued looking. It is entirely black except for a white patch on it head. What it lacks in appearance it makes up for with its show. After making sure his stage is clear "he makes a series of scuttling runs across the stage, letting out shrill calls. This announces he is about to give a performance and usually several drab females will arrive within a few minutes.

Attenborough wrote: "And now he begins his dance. He lifts himself high and holds out his long body feathers so that, with his wings, they form a circular skirt like a crinoline. He erects his breast feathers so that they catch the light and you can see that although they had seemed plain black, they are in fact iridescent and form a glinting shield, part greenish-blue part gold. Facing his audience, he waltzes from side to side. Abruptly, he stops and for a moment is rigid. Then, standing on the spot with feet astride, he begins to twirl his head so that the pennants of his tiara are lost in a blur. Suddenly he leaps into the air, lands onto the back of one of the females in the audience and mates with her."

King of Saxony Birds-of-Paradise

King of Saxony birds-of-paradise (Pteridophora alberti) are the only birds-of-paradise and the only member of genus Pteridophora. Endemic to montane forests in New Guinea, they reside in the western and central two-thirds of the central mountain ranges, from Weyland Range to Kratke Range and Mount Giluwe in Papua New Guinea at elevations between 1,300 and 2,850,usually between 1,800 and 2,500 meters. The mainly eat fruits, berries, insects and other arthropods. [Source: Wikipedia]

These birds were first described by Adolf Bernard Meyer of the Dresden Museum in the December 1894 bulletin of the British Ornithologist's Club. Both the common name "King of Saxony" and the scientific specific name "alberti" honored the then king of Saxony, Albert of Saxony, whose wife had her name attached to the Queen Carola's parotia. King of Saxony birds-of-paradise are is sometimes referred to as "Kiss-a-ba" or "Leme" by the natives of Papua New Guinea and Western New Guinea — names derived from the sounds of the male's loud call.

King of Saxony birds-of-paradise are relatively small. Adults are about 22 centimeters long, excluding their tail feathers. Males are black and yellow with dark brown irises, brownish-grey legs, a black bill with a bright aqua-green gape, and two remarkably long scalloped, enamel-blue brow-plumes — up to 50 centimeters — that can be independently erected at the bird's will. The unadorned female is greyish brown with barred underparts. The male's ornamental head plumes are so unusual that, when the first specimen was brought to Europe, they was thought to be fakes. Moulted head-plumes in good condition are sought by male Archbold's bowerbirds for use as decorations, and in turn collected from the courtship bowers by humans.

Males have long been hunted for their valuable long plumes used by locals and in the past Europeans for adornment. Despite this King of Saxony birds-of-paradise are still fairly common in parts of their range, much of which is difficult fir humans to reach. They are classified as a species of of least concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. In CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild) they are in Appendix II, which lists species not necessarily threatened with extinction now but that may become so unless trade is closely controlled. /=\

King of Saxony Birds-of-Paradise Courtship Behaviour

Adult male King of Saxony birds-of-Paradise are territorial, guarding their territory from perches placed in the tops of tall trees. From these perches they sing to compete with males in neighbouring territories. While singing, the male moves his occipital plumes about. In 1996 David Attenborough filmed the first ever footage of their mating ritual of the bird. [Source: Wikipedia]

King of Saxony Bird-of-paradise mating and courtship behavior combines vocalizations, physical movements, and enhancement and displays of their bold and beautiful plumage. Their occipital feathers — or “head wires” — serve no purpose other than to be eye-catching ornaments. These feathers can be twice as long as male’s body and have evolved as the result of female selection, in which females select males based upon indirect genetic benefits which increase offspring fitness. Their displays are most common between July and February, but can occur any time of the year.

Male King of Saxony birds-of-paradise begin their song-and-dance courtship displays perched on a branch in the forest canopy in exploded leks and sing to attract females. In an "exploded lek" males spread out over a large area to perform their displays to attract females. They are separated from each other by significant distances but still within earshot of each other. In traditional leks males are closely grouped together in a visible display area. The term "explode" is used because they are scattered over a large area. Females flit about checking out the different displays, shopping around for a suitable mate.

The songs sung by the males have been described as being like "radio-static hisses," and last from four to five seconds, and have been chosen for over time through trial and error based on their success in attracting females. Songs are repeated at one minute intervals until a female arrives. The the male King of Saxony starts dancing usually in a way that utilizes their unique occipital plumes, flaring them up and down to arouse the interest of the attending female.

If the female’s interest is piqued, males bounce their mantle cape and breast shield feathers up and down. If the female is still attracted she invites the male to the understory of the forest where the courtship continues. Here, the male perches on a vine, connected to, but below the female and proceeds to rhythmically bounce up and down, which in turn, causes her vine to vibrate. If she is still enticed, the male hop up next to her, erecting his mantle cape and breast shield and wagging his head from side to side to get his head wires to swirl about the female.

Standardwings

Standardwings (Semioptera wallacii) are also known as Wallace's standardwing. They make up a species of birds-of-paradise and are the only member of monotypic genus Semioptera. George Robert Gray of the British Museum named this species in 1859 in honor of Alfred Russel Wallace, British naturalist and author of The Malay Archipelago, who in 1858 was the first European to describe the bird. There are two subspecies: 1) Semioptera wallacii halmaherae (Salvadori, 1881); and 2) Semioptera wallacii wallacii (Gray, 1859). Standardwings feed mainly on insects, other arthropods and fruits. [Source: Wikipedia]

Standardwings are the westernmost species of the true birds-of-paradise. They are endemic to North Maluku province in eastern Indonesia and found on the islands of Halmahera, Bacan, and Morotai. Birds-of-paradise were introduced to Europe by members of Ferdinand Magellan's first circumnavigation of the Earth. When the voyagers were at Tidore in December 1521, they were offered a gift of beautiful dead birds by the ruler of Bacan to give to the King of Spain. Based on the circumstances and description of the birds in Antonio Pigafetta's account of the voyage, they were likely standardwings.

Standardwings are medium-sized birds, about 28 centimeters long and are olive-brown in color. Males have a gloss violet-and-lilac colored crown and emerald green breast-shield. Their most striking features are their two pairs of long white plumes coming out from the bend of the wing that can be raised or lowered at the bird's will. Unadorned olive-brown females are smaller but have a longer tail than the males. Standardwings are polygamous. Males gather and perform a spectacular aerial display, which features "parachuting" with wings, wing "standards" fluttering above its back. and the spreading of their vivid green breast shield

Standardwings are relatively common in their limited range and are classified as a species of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species even though their habitat is becoming increasingly fragmented. CITES places them in Appendix II. Following their original discovery in 1858, standardwing were not seen again for nearly 60 years, and then only a handful of times until 1953. No further sightings were reported until the British ornithologist David Bishop rediscovered the species in 1983 and began making the first detailed observations of their behaviour. Standardwings were filmed for the first time in 1986 for the BBC nature documentary Birds for all Seasons. For that cameraman Michael W Richards stationed in the canopy captured footage of a male bird displaying. Ten years later, David Attenborough observed a mass display of dozens of males for the BBC Natural World film "Attenborough in Paradise," leading him to speculate that the reason for their extravagant behaviour is to establish the hierarchy for breeding rights, rather than to directly impress the females.

Twelve-Wired Birds-of-Paradise

Twelve-wired birds-of-paradise (Seleucidis melanoleucus) are sole members of the genus Seleucidis. Found in flat lowlands and swamp forests throughout New Guinea and Salawati Island, Indonesia, they are common enough to be classified as a species of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and placed in Appendix II of CITES. They are relatively easy to breed in captivity. The first successful captive breeding program was at Singapore's Jurong Bird Park, in 2001. Their diet consists mainly of fruits, insects and other arthropods. Occasionally they consume frogs and nectar.[Source: Wikipedia]

Twelve-wired birds-of-paradise are medium-sized birds, 33 centimeters (13 inches) in length and are velvet black and yellow in color. Males have red irises, a long black bill and rich yellow plumes along their flanks. From the rear of these plumes emerge twelve blackish, wire-like filaments, which bend back near their bases to sweep forward over the bird's hindquarters. Females are brown with black-barred buffy underparts. Their feet are strong, large-clawed and pink in color.

Male Twelve-wired birds-of-paradise display on an exposed vertical perch with their breast-shield flared. The display dance is called a “wire-wipe Display”. It is performed to attract females and features them showing their flank plumes and bare pigmented thighs. Males use their 12 flank plume ‘wires’ to make contact with the female by brushing across the female's face and foreparts.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org ; National Geographic, Live Science, Natural History magazine, David Attenborough books, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Discover magazine, The New Yorker, Time, BBC, CNN, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Wikipedia, The Guardian, Top Secret Animal Attack Files website and various books and other publications.

Last updated February 2025