Eastern Parotia

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Eastern Parotia
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)^[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Paradisaeidae
Genus:	Parotia
Species:	P. helenae
Binomial name
*Parotia helenae* De Vis, 1891

The Eastern Parotia (Parotia helenae) is also known as Helena's Parotia. Approximately 27 cm long, it is a medium-sized passerine of the birds of paradise family, Paradisaeidae. The Eastern Parotia is distributed and endemic to mountain forests of southeast Papua New Guinea.

Its appearance resembles Lawes's Parotia, of which it is sometimes considered a subspecies. It differs in the male frontal crest's and the female's dorsal plumages colors. The male has an iridescent golden green breast shield, elongated black plumes, three erectile spatule head wires behind each blue iris eye and golden brown nasal tuft feathers. The female is smaller than the male, with brown plumage and black barred below.

As do other Parotia, the male is polygamous and performs spectacular courtship display in the forest ground. The clutch contains 1, maybe occasionally 2 eggs; one that was studied was 38.4 x 27.8 mm in size (Mackay 1990). It eats mainly fruit, seeds and arthropods.

The scientific name honors Princess Helena Augusta Victoria, the third daughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.

A common species throughout its limited range, the Eastern Parotia is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix II of CITES.

References

↑ BirdLife International (2012). "Parotia helenae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.

Mackay, Margaret D. (1990): The Egg of Wahnes' Parotia Parotia wahnesi (Paradisaeidae). Emu 90(4): 269. PDF fulltext

External links

BirdLife Species Factsheet

Birds-of-paradise (family: Paradisaeidae)

Genera and species

Genus	Species

Lycocorax	Paradise-crow

Manucodia	Glossy-mantled Manucode Jobi Manucode, Crinkle-collared Manucode Curl-crested Manucode Trumpet Manucode

Paradigalla	Long-tailed Paradigalla Short-tailed Paradigalla

Astrapia	Arfak Astrapia Splendid Astrapia Ribbon-tailed Astrapia Princess Stephanie's Astrapia Huon Astrapia

Parotia	Western Parotia Queen Carola's Parotia Bronze Parotia Lawes's Parotia Eastern Parotia Wahnes's Parotia

Pteridophora	King of Saxony Bird-of-paradise

Lophorina	Superb Bird-of-paradise

Ptiloris	Magnificent Riflebird Growling Riflebird Paradise Riflebird Victoria's Riflebird

Epimachus	Black Sicklebill Brown Sicklebill

Drepanornis	Black-billed Sicklebill Pale-billed Sicklebill

Cicinnurus	Magnificent Bird-of-paradise Wilson's Bird-of-paradise King Bird-of-paradise

Semioptera	Standardwing

Seleucidis	Twelve-wired Bird-of-paradise

Paradisaea	Lesser Bird-of-paradise Greater Bird-of-paradise Raggiana Bird-of-paradise Goldie's Bird-of-paradise Red Bird-of-paradise Emperor Bird-of-paradise Blue Bird-of-paradise

Incomplete list of likely hybrid birds-of-paradise

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