IUCN: Least Concern

Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise Paradisaea raggiana

FUN FACT

The Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise is the national bird of Papua New Guinea and appears on the country’s flag.

The spectacular Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise is found in lowland forest, hill forest and lower montane forest, secondary growth, forest edges and patches, and even gardens in New Guinea. Eating primarily fruits and arthropods, the species is an important dispereser of mahogany and nutmeg seeds. The male Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise’s tail has two long tail wires and cinnamon-colored feathers, which can be up to three feet in length. Like other birds in this family, this is a lekking species. A lek is a common area where multiple males compete using elaborate courtship displays in order to attract the attention of a female; as many as ten adult Raggiana Birds-of-Paradise have been observed at a single lek. Traditional lek sites tend to occupy prominent positions in local topography, such as a high ridge crest. The Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise is common and widespread with no evidence of significant potential threats.

Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise

Paradisaea raggiana
Australasian

Habitat

Lowland forest, hill forest and lower montane forest, secondary growth, forest edges, gardens, and even trees and copses in otherwise open deforested areas. Traditional lek sites tend to occupy prominent position in local topography, such as ridge crest.

Diet

Mostly fruits, mainly capsular ones, and figs; also some arthropods

Status

Least Concern

Breeding

This species is polygynous. Leks, including up to ten adult males, typically are located in the upper portions of one or more canopy trees in forest interior or forest remnant. The female builds and attends the nest alone. The nest an open bowl-shaped structure of leaves, leaf pieces, rootlets, vine stems, orchids or ferns and fibers, with discrete egg-cup lining of horsehair-like material, built in tree branches 2–11 m above ground. A clutch is one or (usually) two eggs, incubated for 18-20 days, with a 17-20 day nestling period.

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