Superb Bird-of-paradise

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Superb Bird-of-paradise

Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)^[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Paradisaeidae
Genus:	Lophorina Vieillot, 1816
Species:	L. superba
Binomial name
*Lophorina superba* (Pennant, 1781)

The Superb Bird-of-paradise (Lophorina superba), is a small, approximately 26 cm long, passerine bird of the Paradisaeidae (Birds of Paradise) family. It is the only member in the genus Lophorina. The Superb Bird-of-paradise is distributed throughout rainforests of New Guinea.

Description

The male is black with an iridescent green crown, blue-green breast shield and a long velvety black erectile cape covering his back. The female is a reddish-brown bird with brownish barred buff below. The young is similar to the female.

Courtship display

The species has an unusually low population of females, and competition amongst males for mates is intensely fierce. This has led the species to have one of the most bizarre and elaborate courtship displays in the avian world. After carefully and meticulously preparing a "dance floor" (even scrubbing the dirt or branch smooth with leaves), the male first attracts a female with a loud call. After the curious female approaches, his folded black feather cape and blue-green breast shield springs upward and spreads widely and symmetrically around its head, instantly transforming the frontal view of the bird into a spectacular ellipse-shaped creature that rhythmically snaps its tail feathers against the ground while hopping in frantic circles around the female. Even despite the elaborate display, the average female rejects 15-20 potential suitors before consenting to mate.

Status

Although heavily hunted for its plumes, the Superb Bird-of-paradise is one of the most common and widespread birds of paradise in New Guinea forests. The Superb Bird-of-paradise is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.^[1] It is listed on Appendix II of CITES.

References

↑ 1.0 1.1 BirdLife International (2012). "Lophorina superba". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lophorina superba.

Superb Bird-of-Paradise Video by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
BirdLife Species Factsheet
Video on YouTube

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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