Family Birds-of-paradise (Paradisaeidae)
Least Concern
Raggiana Bird-of-paradise (Paradisaea raggiana)
Taxonomy
French: Paradisier de Raggi German: Raggiparadiesvogel Spanish: Ave del paraíso de Raggi
Taxonomy:
Paradisea raggiana
P. L. Sclater
, 1873,Orangerie Bay, extreme south-east New Guinea
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Subspecies and Distribution
P. r. salvadorii
Mayr & Rand, 1935 – S & SE New Guinea from Fly/Strickland watershed E (extending into interior highland valleys, e.g. Wahgi and Tari Valleys) to Cloudy Bay.
P. r. augustaevictoriae
Cabanis, 1888 – upper Ramu R and Huon Peninsula (and interior valleys to S, i.e. those of Markham, Wafa, Watut and Bulolo Rivers), and also SE to Waria R watershed and coastally to lower Mambare R.
P. r. intermedia
De Vis, 1894 – N coast of SE New Guinea from lower Mambare R E to Collingwood Bay.
P. r. raggiana
P. L. Sclater, 1873 – S watershed of SE New Guinea from Cloudy Bay E to Milne Bay, and into N watershed as far as Goodenough Bay or Cape Vogel.
Descriptive notes
Male 34 cm (excluding tail wires), 234–300 g; female 33 cm, 133–220 g. Male nominate race has lores, forehead, ear-coverts, malar area, chin and throat iridescent... read more
Voice
Advertisement call of lekking males a series of loud far-carrying cries, increasing in intensity... read more
Habitat
Lowland forest, hill forest and lower montane forest, secondary growth, forest edges, gardens, and... read more
Food and feeding
Mostly fruits, mainly capsular ones and figs (Ficus); also arthropods. Nestlings fed with arthropods for first five days,... read more
Breeding
Season at least Apr–Dec; nesting recorded Oct–Nov in Wau and late Jul and Aug at Varirata (near Port Moresby); males with... read more
Movements
Presumed resident.
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened. CITES II. Common, and widespread. In 2002, within Crater Mountain Wildlife Management Area (E New Guinea), estimates at 432–650 m were 16... read more
Hybridization recorded with P. minor, P. apoda, P. guilielmi and Paradisornis rudolphi. Race salvadorii sometimes included in nominate. Proposed race granti (inland from Huon Gulf) is an intergrade between intermedia and augustaevictoriae#R; two last-mentioned races hybridize in region of lower Mambare R. Four subspecies recognized.