Parotia Birds-of-Paradise: Characteristics, Behavior, Dances | Sea Life, Islands and Oceania

PAROTIA

Western parotia displaying

Parotias make up the genus Parotia in the bird-of-paradise family Paradisaeidae. They are endemic to New Guinea and are also known as six-plumed birds-of-paradise, due to their six head quills. These birds have been featured prominently in the BBC series Planet Earth, mainly because of the wild courting dances performed my males. [Source: Wikipedia]

Males parotias have ornamental plumage consisting of six wired head plumes with black oval-shaped tips, a neck collar of black, decomposed feathers which can be spread into a skirt-like shape, and bright or iridescent head and throat markings. During their courtship displays, they do ballerina-like dances and spread out their "skirt" on a patch of forest floor they have meticulously cleaned of dead leaves and other debris. The "ballerina dances" usually consist of the male hopping from foot and bobbing their heads from side to side. Males are polygamous and do not take part in raising young. Clutch size is usually one to three eggs

The genus name is composed of par, meaning "near" and Ancient Greek “ōtos for "ear", meaning "curl of hair by the ear", a reference to six head plumes on each side of the head, characteristic to male birds of this genus. There are six species in the Parotia genus: 1) Western parotia (Parotia sefilata); 2) Carola's parotia (Parotia carolae); 3) Bronze parotia (Parotia berlepschi); 4) Lawes's parotia (Parotia lawesii); 5) Eastern parotia (Parotia helenae); and 6) Wahnes's parotia (Parotia wahnesi)

Lawes's Parotia

Lawes's parotia (Parotia lawesii) are medium-sized birds-of-paradise. They are found in the mountain forests of southeast and eastern Papua New Guinea in the central mountain ranges from Bismarck, Schrader, Hagen, and Giluwe Ranges and Tari Valley to southern slopes of Owen Stanley Range. They prefer mid montane forests but also occupy disturbed forests, secondary growth and forest patches within agricultural area from 500 to 2300 meters, mainly from 1200 to 1900 meters. [Sources: Wikipedia, Australian Museum]

Some view the eastern parotia as a subspecies of Lawes's parotia, which in turn is similar to the western parotia (Parotia sefilata). The bird's home range was discovered by Carl Hunstein on a mountain near Port Moresby in 1884. The name honors the New Guinea pioneer missionary Reverend William George Lawes.

Lawes's parotia mainly eat fruits, along with some arthropods and small lizards. They are not threatened. Fairly common and adapted to human presence, they are classified as a species 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. /=\

Lawes's Parotia Appearance and Courtship Display

Lawes's parotia

Sexual Dimorphism (differences between males and females) is present: Males are larger than females and coloration and ornamentation are different. Lawes's parotia males are sexually dimorphic. Male reach 27 centimeters in length; females, 25 centimeters. Adult males are entirely black except for white stripe running from the lower forehead across base of upper bill, intense iridescent emerald green to greenish-yellow breast shield and three plumes like wires with expanded ends above and behind each eye. Adult females have black head, mottled throat and facial stripe, drab brown upperparts and tail, and barred underparts. [Sources: Wikipedia, Australian Museum]

Like most birds-of-paradise, male Lawes's parotia are polygamous. The clutch contains one, occasionally two eggs about 33 x 24 millimeters in size. Breeding takes place at least from June to January. Females build and attend nests alone. Nests are located in tree canopy five to 12 meters above the ground. Lawes's parotia are known to hybridise with blue birds-of-paradise.

Males form dispersed leks (groups with individuals scattered over a fairly wide area) and preside over terrestrial courts. A males clears his courts before his display in which he stands upright with plumage sleeked and then bows with his crest feathers spread forward over his bill. He then flicks wings, stretches upwards and raises his flank feathers into ‘skirt’, which is maintained as he dances around court, moving his head plumes, Occasionally he assumes a static posture while raising and lowering his body. For a climax he lunges across court with plumage sleeked and head forward and horizontal to ground.

Western Parotia

Western parotia (Parotia sefilata) are also known as Arfak parotia. They are a medium-sized birds-of-paradise, approximately 33 centimeters long, with a medium-length tail. Endemic to Indonesia and found only in the mountain forests of Vogelkop and the Wandammen Peninsula of Western New Guinea. The diet consists mainly of fruits such as figs, and arthropods. [Source: Wikipedia]

Widespread and common throughout their fairly remote range, they are classified as a species 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. /=\

Like other birds-of-paradise,western parotia are sexually dimorphic. Males have black plumage with an iridescent structurally colored golden-green breast shield and triangular silver feathers on its crown. It is adorned with elongated black plumes at the sides of the breast and three erectile spatulate head wires behind each eye. As with most member in the family, the female is unadorned and has brown plumage. The species is similar to Lawes's parotia (Parotia lawesii).

Western Parotia Courtship Dance

Western parotia are polygynous. Males presumably perform a series of courtship displays likely on terrestrial courts in exploded leks. The nest is built and attended by the female alone; the breeding season is largely unknown. [Source: Wikipedia]

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 courtship display of the males features a ballerina-like dance in which elongated black plumes spread out like a skirt below the iridescent breast shield. During this aweome dance, the male shakes his head and neck rapidly to show the brilliance of his inverted silver triangle-shaped head adornment to attending females.

Carola's Parotia

Carola's parotia (Parotia carolae) make up a species of bird-of-paradise also known as Queen Carola's parotia and Queen Carola's six-wired bird-of-paradise. One of the most colorful parotias, they inhabit mid-mountain forests of New Guinea: central ranges from Weyland Range east to the Hagen Ranges, Sepik-Wahgi Divide and Bismarck Ranges. The name commemorates Queen Carola of Vasa, the wife of King Albert I of Saxony. The king was honoured with the King of Saxony bird-of-paradise. [Source: Wikipedia, Australian Museum]

Carola's parotia mainly eat fruits, insects and other arthropods. Widespread and common throughout their fairly remote range, they are classified a species of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and are in Appendix II in CITES. Carola's parotia prefer primary and secondary mid montane forests but also can be found regrowth and abandoned gardens. They can be found at elevations of 1100 to 2000 meters, mainly from 1450 to 1800 meters.

Carola's parotia are medium-sized birds. Males reach lengths of 26 centimeters; females, 25 centimeters. Males have a velvety jet-black head with coppery-bronze sheen and a short erectile blackish-bronzed frontal head crest from nostril to eye and between eyes On their chin are whisker-like feathers. The throat is paler with longer whisker-like feathers. Occipital plumes emerge from above and behind eyes. Their upperparts are velvety black with iridescent bronze sheen/ Their underparts are blackish brown in the middle with dark reddish brown along the sides. Their flanks with large patch of white feathers. Adult females have brown upperparts with broad paler stripe above and behind their eyes. Their underparts are light brown with dark brown barring.

The remarkable courtship dance of Carola's parotia was described in detail by Scholes (2006). It is similar to that of Lawes's parotia, but modified to present the iridescent throat plumage and the flank tufts to best effect. Males maintain seasonal courts on the ground, which are dispersed, forming exploded leks. The males' displays consist of crouching, flexing their white flank feathers, hopping, showing their breastplates, shaking their spatulate head plumes, spreading their flank feathers into a "tutu", fluttering their wings, and many other actions. The audience may consist of many females. Carola's parotia females take care of all of the nesting and parental duties. The species has been recorded hybridizing with Lophorina superba.

Bronze, Eastern and Wahne’ Parotia

Bronze parotia (Parotia berlepschi) are also known as Foja parotia, Berlepsch's parotia and Berlepsch's six-wired bird-of-paradise. They resemble and are often considered to be a subspecies of Carola's parotia, but it differs from the latter by having more heavily bronzed plumage and no eye rings. The specific scientific name commemorates a 19th-century German ornithologist Hans von Berlepsch. [Source: Wikipedia]

Bronze parotia are medium-sized bird, with black and bronze-tinged upperparts, conspicuous white flank plumes, iridescent coppery-greenish breast plumes, and six flag-tipped head wires. The duller female lacks the head wires, has finely dark-barred whitish underparts, brown upperparts, and rufous wings. Previously known only from four specimens, the home of these little known birds-of-paradise was located in 1985 by the American scientist Jared Diamond in the Foja Mountains of Papua, Indonesia. Diamond encountered only the female of this species. In December 2005, an international team led by ornithologist and Conservation International vice-president Bruce Beehler traveled to the unexplored areas of Foja Mountains and found bronze parotia along with other little known and new species. The first photographs of them were taken during this trip.

Eastern parotia(Parotia helenae) are also known as Helena's parotia. They are medium-sized birds-of-paradise, about 27 centimeters in length, that are found in the mountain forests of southeast Papua New Guinea. The scientific name honors Princess Helena Augusta Victoria, the third daughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. They are fairly common throughout their limited range.

Eastern parotia resemble Lawes's parotia and are sometimes considered their subspecies. They differs in that male have frontal crest's and the female's dorsal plumages colors. Males have an iridescent golden green breast shield, elongated black plumes, three erectile spatule head wires behind each blue iris eye and golden brown nasal tuft feathers. Female are smaller and have brown plumage and black barred below. As is the case with other Parotia species, males are polygamous and perform a stunning courtship display on the forest ground. Their clutch contains one, occasionally two eggs measuring 38.4 x 27.8 millimeters in size. These birds eats mainly fruit, seeds and arthropods.

Wahnes's parotia(Parotia wahnesi) are medium-sized birds-of-paradise, about 43 centimeters long, that are endemic to the mountain forests of Huon Peninsula and Adelbert Mountains of northeast Papua New Guinea. They are classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and are listed on Appendix II of CITES under the threat classification is C2a(1), meaning that less than 10,000 adult birds exist, their republic is fragmented into subpopulations of less than 1000, and their numbers are probably declining. Their name honors the German naturalist Carl Wahnes, who collected in New Guinea.

Male Wahnes's parotia have an iridescent yellow-green breast shield, elongated black plumes, three erectile spatule head wires behind each eye, coppery-bronzed nasal tuft feathers and long, wedge-shaped tail feathers. Females are a rich brown in color with a blackish head. Little is known about their behavior. Males are polygamous and performs a spectacular courtship dance in the forest ground. Their diet consists mainly of fruits and arthropods. 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