The majority of the species from the Bird of Paradise family Paradisaeidae are found in New Guinea. A few are found islands and in Australia. The males tend to have spectacular plumage. Their habitat is dense rain forest so they are usually difficult to photograph.
Genus Astrapia
The males have highly iridescent plumage and remarkably long tails. Females are duller and have shorter tails.
Astrapia,_Arfak_ Astrapia nigra Found: New Guinea
The Arfak Astrapia has iridescent purple, green and bronze plumage. Male has long broad tail; velvety black breast; complex head plumage. Female has blackish-brown upperparts; pale barring on underparts.
Image by: 1) Richard_Sharpe 2) Hectonichus
2) specimen
Astrapia,_Huon Astrapia rothschildi Found: New Guinea
The male Huon Astrapia has dark olive-green upperparts; glossy blue crown; elongated purple-green nape feathers; very long purplish-black tail. Female has blackish-brown upperparts; pale barring on underparts.
Image by: 1) Katerina_Tvardikova 2) Ellis_Rowan
Astrapia,_Ribbon-tailed Astrapia mayeri Found: New Guinea
The male Ribbon-tailed Astrapla has iridescent olive green and bronze upperparts; a "ball" of plumage above bill; 2 very long ribbon-like white tail feathers. Female has brown upperparts; barred underparts.
Image by: 1) Katerina_Tvardikova 2) Jerry_Oldenettel 3) David_Cook 4) pornfoto 5) Markaharper 6) Dave_Ringer
2, 3) Female 4) Juvenile male 5, 6) Msle
Astrapia,_Splendid Astrapia splendidissima Found: New Guinea
The male Splendid Astrapia has iridescent yellow-green mantle; blue-green throat; dark green underparts. Female has dark brown plumage; darker head.
Image by: 1) Katerina_Tvardikov 2) John_Gerrard_Keulemans
Astrapia,_Stephanie's Astrapia stephaniae Found: New Guinea
The male Stephanie's Astrapia has iridescent blue-green and purple head; 2 very long purple-black central tail feathers. Female has dark brown upperparts; bluish-black head; black barred cinnamon-brown underparts.
Image by: 1) Katerina_Tvardikova 2) Richard_Sharpe
Genus Cicinnurus
The males have bright blue legs and feet.
Bird-of-Paradise,_King Cicinnurus regius Found: New Guinea
The male King Bird-of-Paradise has crimison and white plumage; blue feet. Female has brown upperparts with barred underparts.
Image by: 1, 2, 3) Katerina_Tvardikova 4) Doug_Janson
Bird-of-Paradise,_Magnificent Cicinnurus magnificus Found: New Guinea
The male Magnificent Bird-of-Paradise has bright yellow wings, mantle on neck;; iridescent green breast shield; blue legs. Female has drab olive-brown upperparts; buffy underparts with black barring.
Image by: 1) Ross_Tsai 2, 3) Ltshears
Bird-of-Paradise,_Wilson's Cicinnurus respublica Found: New Guinea
The male Wilson's Bird-of-Paradise has mainly red upperparts; yellow mantle patch; blue crown with black markings; black underparts; 2 curled violet tail feathers; blue legs. Female has mainly brownish plumage; blue crown.
Image by: 1) Serhanoksay 2, 3) Ross_Tsai
Genus Drepanornis
They have long decurved sickle-like bills.
Sicklebill,_Black-billed Drepanornis albertisi Found: New Guinea
The male Black-billed Sicklebill cinnamon-brown upperparts; paler rump, upper-tail coverts; sooty upper-breast; violet breast-band; white belly, vent; dark very long sickle-like bill. Female has brown plumage; dark very long sickle-like bill.
Image by: 1) Joseph_Smit 2) P_Khoo
Sicklebill,_Pale-billed Drepanornis bruijnii Found: New Guinea
The Pale-billed Sicklebill has pale very long sickle-like bill. Male has bare purple-gray skin around eyes; brown eyes; purple-tipped upper-breast plumes; purple small horn-like brown feathers. Female paler than male.
Image by: 1) hbw.com
Genus Epimachus
These sickelbills have long down-curved sickle-like bills and long tails. Males of both species have extensive iridescent blackish to their plumage, while females are overall brown with barred underparts.
Sicklebill,_Black Epimachus fastosus Found: New Guinea
The male Black Sicklebill has mainly black plumage; red eyes; yellow mouth; long curved black bill; large fan-like plumes on sides of breast; long tail. Female smaller than male; reddish-brown plumage; brown eyes; buff underparts with barring.
Image by: 1) Richard_Sharpe
Sicklebill,_Brown Epimachus meyeri Found: New Guinea
The male Brown Sicklebill iridescent blue-black upperparts; black bill; yellow mouth; dark brown breast; olive-brown vent. Female reddish brown; buff underparts with black barring. Both sexes have long sickle-like bill.
Image by: 1) Katerina_Tvardikova 2) Richard_Sharpe 3, 5) Markaharper 4) David_Cook
3, 4) Female 5) Male
Genus Lophorina - 1 species
Bird-of-Paradise,_Superb Lophorina superba Found: New Guinea
The male Superb Bird-of_Paradise has mainly black plumage; iridescent green crown; blue-green breast shield; long velvety black erectile cape covering back. Female has reddish-brown plumage; buff underparts with brownish barring.
Image by: 1) Richard_Sharpe 2) David_Cook 3) Natasha_Baucas 4) Hectonichus
2) Female 3) Male 4) Male specimen
Genus Lycocorax - 1 species
Crow,_Paradise Lycocorax pyrrhopterus Found: Indonesia
The Paradise Crow dark upperparts; black underparts; black bill; crimson eyes; call like a dog's bark.
Image by: 1) Richard_Sharpe 2) Paulo_Alves 3) Marcel_Holyoak
Genus Manucodia
Manucodes are birds-of-paradise in the genus Manucodia, that are medium-sized with black-glossed purple and green plumages. The members of this genus are distributed in the lowland forests of New Guinea and nearby islands.
Manucode,_Crinkle-collared Manucodia chalybatus Found: New Guinea
The Crinkle-collared Manucode has mainly greenish-blue, black and purple-glossed plumage; red eyes; iridescent green breast feathers.
Image by:
1) Katerina_Tvardikova 2) Biodiversity_Heritage_Library
Manucode,_Curl-crested Manucodia comrii Found: New Guinea
The Curl-crested Manucode has glossy purple, black, and green plumage; red eyes; yellowish-green upper-breast, neck; curled head feathering.
Similar to: Jobi Manucode. The Curl-crested Manucode is distinguished from the Jobi Manucode by its bronzed yellow-green neck feathers.
Image by: 1) Katerina_Tvardikova 2) Richard_Sharpe 3) Charles_DaviesSimilar to: Jobi Manucode. The Curl-crested Manucode is distinguished from the Jobi Manucode by its bronzed yellow-green neck feathers.
Manucode,_Glossy-mantled Manucodia ater Found: New Guinea
The Glossy-mantled Manucode resembles and is difficult to distinguished from its nearest relatives, the Crinkle-collared and Jobi manucodes.
Image by: 1) Katerina_Tvardikova 2) Jerry_Oldenettel
Manucode,_Jobi Manucodia jobiensis Found: New Guinea
The Jobi Manucode glossy greenish-blue, black and purple upperparts; blueish and short neck, upper-breast feathers. It is found on Jobi Island and northern New Guinea.
Similar to: Curl-crested Manucode. The Curl-crested Manucode is distinguished from the Jobi Manucode by its bronzed yellow-green neck feathers.
Image by: 1) Katerina_Tvardikova 2) Richard_SharpeSimilar to: Curl-crested Manucode. The Curl-crested Manucode is distinguished from the Jobi Manucode by its bronzed yellow-green neck feathers.
Genus Melampitta
Melampitta,_Greater Melampitta gigantea Found: New Guinea
Image by: 1) Katerina_Tvardikova 2) hbw.com
Melampitta,_Lesser Melampitta lugubris Found: New Guinea
The Lesser Melampitta has glossy dark plumage; long tail; short legs. Males has crimson red eyes; female has dark brown eyes.
Image by: 1, 2) Katerina_Tvardikova
Genus Paradigalla
Paradigalla,_Long-tailed Paradigalla carunculata Found: New Guinea
The Long-tailed Paradigalla has black plumage; mainly yellow face wattles with some blue.
Image by: 1) John Gould
1) Male left; female right
Paradigalla,_Short-tailed Paradigalla brevicauda Found: New Guinea
The Short-tailed Paradigalla has black plumage; mainly yellow face wattles with some blue; very short tail.
Image by: 1) Katerina_Tvardikova 2) Henrik_Gronvold 3) David_Cook
Genus Paradisaea
Bird-of-Paradise,_Blue Paradisaea rudolphi Found: New Guinea
The Blue Bird-of-Paradise has bluish-white bill; gray legs; broken white eye-ring; bright blue wings. Male has blue and cinammon flank plumes; 2 long ribbon-like tail feathers. Female has chesnut-brown underparts.
Image by: 1) Katerina_Tvardikova 2) Richard_Sharpe 3) P_Khoo 4) Jay Ramji
Bird-of-Paradise,_Emperor Paradisaea guilielmi Found: New Guinea
The Emperor Bird-of-Paradise has reddish-brown iris; bluish-gray bill; purplish-brown legs. Male has dark emerald-green face, throat; 2 very long tail wires; large white flank plumes. Female has brown plumage; no ornamental plumes.
Image by: 1) P_Khoo 2) Markus_Lagerqvist 3) Charles_Davies
Bird-of-Paradise,_Goldie's Paradisaea decora Found: New Guinea
The male Goldie's Bird-of-Paradise has yellow and dark green plumage; lavender-gray breast; yellow eyes; gray bill, mouth, feet; large crimson flank plumes; 2 long tail wires. Female has olive-brown upperparts; cinnamon-brown underparts.
Image by: 1) Katerina_Tvardikova 2) John_Gerrard_Keulemans 3) Charles_Davies
Bird-of-Paradise,_Greater Paradisaea apoda Found: New Guinea
The male Greater Bird-of-Paradise has mainly maroon-brown plumage; iridescent green face; yellow glossed with silver head, nape. Male flank plumes are yellow at base turning white towards extremes. Female has maroon-brown plumage.
Image by: 1, 3) Phalinn_Ooi 2) Andrea_Lawardi 3) Phalinn_Ooi
Bird-of-Paradise,_Lesser Paradisaea minor Found: New Guinea
The male Lesser Bird-of-Paradises has mainly yellow head; dark emerald-green throat; 2 long tail wires; flank plumes are yellow at base transitioning to white. Female has maroon upperparts; dark brown head; whitish underparts.
Image by: 1) Anna_Harris 2) Rodeime 3) Mark_Harper
1) Female 2, 3) Male
Bird-of-Paradise,_Raggiana Paradisaea raggiana Found: New Guinea
The male Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise has yellow crown, nape; deep emerald-green throat; blackish upper-breast; 2 long black tail feathers. Female is drab maroonish-brown.
Image by: 1)Dick Daniels - San Diego Zoo 2) Sandy Cole - Sylvan Heights 3) Kenny_P - Miami Zoo 4) ImageMD - Miami Zoo
1, 2) Female 3, 4) Male
Bird-of-Paradise,_Red Paradisaea rubra Found: New Guinea
The male Red Bird-of-Paradise has emerald green face; 2 corkscrew shaped tail wires; glossy red breast plumes. Female is similar; dark brown face; no breast plumes.
Image by: 1) Doug_Janson 2) Stevenn 3) Matt_Pelletier - Central Park Zoo 4) Eric_Huang
1) Female 2, 3) Male
Genus Parotia
The males of the genus are characterized by an ornamental plumage consisting of six wired head plumes with black oval-shaped tips, a neck collar of black, feathers which can be spread into a skirt-like shape, and bright or iridescent head and throat markings. During courtship, they perform ballerina-like dances and spread out their "skirt" on a patch of forest floor they have meticulously cleaned of dead leaves and other debris.
Parotia,_Bronze also Foja_Parotia Parotia berlepschiFound: New Guinea
The male Bronze Parotia has black and bronze-tinged upperparts; conspicuous white flank plumes; iridescent coppery-greenish breast plumes; six flag-tipped head wires. The duller female has brown upperparts; finely dark-barred whitish underparts; rufous wings; no head wires. Also considered subspecies of Carola's Parotia, but differs from latter by having more heavily bronzed plumage and no eye-ring.
Image by: 1) Cl_Singapore
Parotia,_Carola's Parotia carolae Found: New Guinea
The male (Queen) Carola's Parotia has mainly black plumage; 3 head wires attached behind each eye; gold and white crest. Female has brown upperparts; barred grayish underparts.
Image by: 1) Katerina_Tvardikova
2) Richard_Sharpe
3) P_Khoo
4) Wagon16
Parotia,_Lawes's Parotia lawesii Found: New Guinea
The male Lawes's Parotia has velvet-black plumage; silvery white foreheas crest; golden-green breast patch; 3 erectile head wires behind each eye. Female has brown upperparts; black head; dark-barred yellowish-brown underparts.
Image by: 1) Katerina_Tvardikova 2) Richard_Sharpe 3) P_Khoo 4) Jerry_Oldenettel
Parotia,_Wahnes's Parotia wahnesi Found: New Guinea
The male Wahnes's Parotia has mainly black plumage; yellow-green breast-shield; 3 erectile head wires behind each eye. Female has brown uuperparts; blackish head; pale underparts with barring.
Image by: 1) Katerina_Tvardikova 2, 3) Henrik_Gronvold
2) Female 3) Male
Parotia,_Western Parotia sefilata Found: New Gunea
The male Western Parotia has glossy bluish-black plumage; golden-green breast shield; triangular silver feathers on crown; 3 erectile head wires behi d each eye. Female has brown upperparts; whitish underparts with dark barring.
Image by: 1) Richard_Sharpe 2, 3) Marek_Stefunko 4) Arty-chan
2) Female 3, 4) Ma;e 4) Painting
Genus Phonygammus - 1 species
Manucode,_Trumpet Phonygammus keraudrenii Found: Australia, New Guinea
The male Trumpet Manucode has upperparts; blue-black head, nape, neck; irridescent blue-green upper-breast; blackish rest underparts. Female slightly duller on underparts.
Image by: 1) Richard_Sharpe 2) Johannes_Pfleiderer
Genus Pteridophora - 1 species
Bird-of-Paradise,_King-of-Saxony Pteridophora alberti Found: New Guinea
The male King-of-Saony Bird-of_Paradise has black and yellow plumage; aqua-green gape; black bill; brownish-gray legs; 2 extremely long eye plumes. Female has grayish-brown upperpart; pale underparts with barring.
Image by: 1) Katerina_Tvardikova 2, 4) Jerry_Oldenettel 3) Richard_Sharpe
2) Female 3, 4) Male
Genus Ptiloris
These birds of paradise are commonly known as riflebirds, so named for the likeness of their black velvety plumage to the uniform of the Rifle Brigade
Riflebird,_Magnificent Ptiloris magnificus Found: New Guinea, northeastern Australia
The male Magnificent Riflebird has mainly velvet-black plumage; wide triangle-shaped breast shield; elongated black flank plumes; blue-green crown; yellow mouth; down-curved bill; blackish feet. Female brownish; white line to rear of eye; buff barred underparts.
Image by: 1, 2, 3) Katerina_Tvardikova 4) Eric_Gropp
2, 3) Female 4) Male
Riflebird,_Paradise Ptiloris paradiseus Found: eastern Australia
The male Paradise Riflebird has mainly glossy black plumage; iridescent blue thoart; belly lighter with some barring; yellow mouth, curved black bill. Femlae has olive brown upperparts; off-white underparts with blackish barring; curved bill.
Image by: 1) Biodiversity_Heritage_Library 2) Tony_Castro 3) Hectonichus 4) Rose_Coupland
1, 2) Female 3) Male specimen 4) Male
Riflebird, Victoria's Ptiloris victoriae Found: northeastern Queensland (Australia)
Image by: 1, 2, 3) David Cook - Lake Eacham, QLD, Australia 4) Greg_Schechter 5) Fatal_Eyes
1, 2) Female 3, 4) Male
Genus Seleucidis - 1 species
Bird-of-Paradise,_Twelve-wired Seleucidis melanoleucus Found: New Guinea
The male Twelve-wired Bird-of-Paraidise black upperparts, head, breast; whitish belly with rich yellow plumes along flanks; 12 black wire-like plumes issue from ends of flank-plumes. Female has brown upperparts; black head; buffy underparts with black barring.
Image by: 1) Katerina_Tvardikova 2) Doug_Janson 3) Richard_Sharpe 4, 5) Jerry_Oldenettel 6) Stavenn
Genus Semioptera - 1 species
Bird-of-Paradise,_Standardwing Semioptera wallacii Found: Indonesia
The male Standardwing Bird-of-Paradise violet crown; emerald-green breast shield; 2 long breast plumes coming out from bend in wings. Female has olive-brown plumage; longer tail than males.
Image by: 1) Richard Sharpe 2) Hectonichus 3) Johnson
