Red Bird-of-Paradise Paradisaea rubra Scientific name definitions

Male 33 cm (excluding tail wires), 158–224 g; female 30 cm, 115–208 g. Male has head to just behind eye, ear-coverts, chin and extensive throat area of finely scaled iridescent dark emerald-green feathering, feathers above each eye slightly elongated and curved to form erectile cushion-like structure; remainder of head, and nape, upper and central mantle and modified (mantle-like) upper­wing-coverts pale orange-yellow, side and lower centre of mantle amber, washed yellow, with iridescent white sheen, grading to russet-brown on back; rump and uppertail-coverts pale orange-yellow, washed amber; upperwing, including alula and primary coverts, and uppertail reddish-brown; central pair of rectrices uniquely modified into grossly elongated, gently twisting, concave shiny black "tapes" 3–4 mm wide of plastic-like appearance and texture ; somewhat stiff pale orange-yellow upper breast feathers, elongated and pointed to lower side, form small breast shield, and plumage beneath this glossy dark brown , washed maroon, becoming paler and less maroon on belly and grading to hazel on vent, thighs and undertail-coverts; elongate, slightly stiffened and downward-curving flank plumes carmine to crimson and variably dark brown to medium-brown on upper surface, with off-white filamental tips; iris dark reddish-brown; bill yellow , washed pale green; legs bluish-grey to grey-brown. Female is slightly smaller and clearly lighter than male, with central pair of rectrices narrower and more pointed than the rest; face (to posterior eye) and throat dark brown, rear crown, neck and nape buff-yellow, grading into dark brown on upperparts; upper breast with discrete broad glossy straw-yellow bar, remaining underparts brownish. Juvenile undescribed in wild, in captive-bred young yellow upper breast began to appear at 60 days and by 125 days was distinct and resembled that of adult female; immature like adult female, but on average larger; subadult male variable, like adult female with few feathers of adult male plumage intruding to like adult male with few female-type feathers remaining, central pair of tail feathers initially simply longer, narrower and more pointed than rest, to relatively short bare central shaft wire with elongate spatulate tip that becomes progressively longer and with smaller-webbed tips, male taking 5–6 years to acquire full adult plumage; male acquires progressively longer central pair of rectrices with age.

West Papuan Is (Waigeo, Gemien, Saonek and Batanta; presumably also Gam), off NW New Guinea.

Most common advertisement call by lekking male a loud, clear repeated "wak" , the bird building up to this with throaty "work - wok, wak, wak, wak, wak, wak", which then becomes loud "wok-wau-wau-wau". Other calls include similar but higher-pitched "ca-ca-ca-ca-ca-ca"; an oft-given corvid-like coarse, guttural "kaw, kaw, kaw"; also common is a soft pathetic-sounding "weep", and not uncommon are a soft high-pitched "meew" and a single snap of the mandibles, also a ticking sound that may be preceded by high-pitched "beep" and ended with low guttural "book", thus "beep t-t-t-t-t book".

Females with enlarged oocytes indicative of breeding in Sept–Oct; display at least Jul and Sept. Polygynous, lekking promiscuous males on traditional display perches; female builds and attends nest alone. On Waigeo, lek in one gigantic tree in small forest clearing attended by up to ten adult males, which called and displayed on high defoliated limbs, usually after dawn (males most vocal early mornings and late afternoons). Courtship involves three fundamental display phases, Convergence Display, Static Display and Copulatory Sequence dance phase, with some additional postures and movements. No information of nest-site and nest in wild. In captivity, clutch 1–2 eggs, laid on consecutive or alternate days, incubation 14–17 days, nestling period 15–20 days.