Raggiana bird-of-paradise

Paradisaea raggiana

Photo by Bruce Beehler (Australian Geographic)

Common name:

Raggiana bird-of-paradise (en); ave-do-paraíso-de-Raggi (pt); paradisier de Raggi (fr); ave del paraíso de Raggi (es); Raggi-paradiesvogel (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Paradisaeidae

Range:

This species indemic to island of New Guinea, being found in eastern and southern Papua-New guinea and marginally across the border into Indonesia.

Size:

These birds are 28-34 cm long but the males reach 70 cm if the tail plumes are included. The males weigh 310-340 g while the smaller females weigh 170-200 g.

Habitat:

The Raggiana bird-of-paradise is mostly found in lowland rainforests, but also in some mountain rainforests, second growths and sometimes in rural gardens.

Diet:

They are mainly frugivorous, eating the fruits whole and thus being an important seed disperser for fruiting tree in New Guinea. They also eat some insects and other arthropods.

Breeding:

Raggiana birds-of-paradise breed in September-November. They are polygynous, with the males congregating in leks where they perform an elaborate courtship dance to attract the females who choose their favourite dancer. After mating, the female builds a cup-shaped nest composed of leaves and leaf pieces, stems, ferns and other plant fibres, and lined with hairs. The nest is placed in a fork of a tree, 2-11 m above the ground. There she lays 1-2 pinkish buff eggs, which she incubates alone for 18-20 days. The chicks are raised by the female alone and fledge about 3 weeks after hatching, but continue to receive food from their mother for over 1 month.

Conservation:

IUCN status – LC (Least Concern)

This species has a large breeding range and is reported to be common. Even though the plumes of this species are heavily cropped by natives for ceremonial headdresses, the practice is not a threat to their long-term survival and the population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.