The Red Bird of Paradise

An Indonesian endangered species, the Red Bird of Paradise is distributed to lowland rainforests of Waigeo and Batanta islands of West Papua. This species shares its home with another bird of paradise, the Wilson's Bird of Paradise. Hybridization between these two species are expected but not recorded yet.

The Bird of Paradise, Paradisaea rubra, is large, up to 33cm long, brown and yellow bird with a dark brown iris, grey legs and yellow bill. The male has an emerald green face, a pair of elongated black corkscrew-shaped tail wires, dark green feather pompoms above each eye and a train of glossy crimson red plumes with whitish tips at either side of the breast.

The male measures up to 72 cm long, including the ornamental red plumes that require at least six years to fully attain. The female resembles the male but is smaller in size, with a dark brown face and has no ornamental red plumes. The diet consists mainly of fruits, berries and arthropons.