Curl-crested Manucode
Encyclopedia
The Curl-crested Manucode, Manucodia comrii, is a compact and large, approximately 43 cm long, bird-of-paradise with glossy purple, black and green plumage, red iris
and crinkled yellowish-green upper breast and neck feathers. It has curled head feathering and twisted central tail feathers. Both sexes are similar with a slightly smaller female. It is the largest species of Manucode, and also the largest species in its family in terms of body size, though its tail is shorter than the Black Sicklebill
.
Endemic
to Papua New Guinea
, the Curl-crested Manucode is distributed to the Trobriand Islands
and islands of the D'Entrecasteaux Archipelago. This species is also one of the largest and heaviest among birds of paradise. The diet consists mainly of fruits.
The British
zoologist Philip Lutley Sclater named this species after Dr. Peter Comrie, who discovered the bird at Fergusson Island
in 1874.
A common species in its limited habitat range, the Curl-crested Manucode is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List
of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix II of CITES.
Iris (anatomy)
The iris is a thin, circular structure in the eye, responsible for controlling the diameter and size of the pupils and thus the amount of light reaching the retina. "Eye color" is the color of the iris, which can be green, blue, or brown. In some cases it can be hazel , grey, violet, or even pink...
and crinkled yellowish-green upper breast and neck feathers. It has curled head feathering and twisted central tail feathers. Both sexes are similar with a slightly smaller female. It is the largest species of Manucode, and also the largest species in its family in terms of body size, though its tail is shorter than the Black Sicklebill
Black Sicklebill
The Black Sicklebill, Epimachus fastuosus, is a large bird of paradise of midmountain forests of New Guinea. The male has black plumage with an iridescent green, blue and purple scale-like feathers, red iris, bright yellow mouth, long curved black bill, huge sabre-shaped tail and large erectile...
.
Endemic
Endemism in birds
An endemic bird area is a region of the world that contains two or more restricted-range species, while a "secondary area" contains one or more restricted-range species. Both terms were devised by Birdlife International....
to Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, the Curl-crested Manucode is distributed to the Trobriand Islands
Trobriand Islands
The Trobriand Islands are a 450 km² archipelago of coral atolls off the eastern coast of New Guinea. They are situated in Milne Bay Province in Papua New Guinea. Most of the population of 12,000 indigenous inhabitants live on the main island of Kiriwina, which is also the location of the...
and islands of the D'Entrecasteaux Archipelago. This species is also one of the largest and heaviest among birds of paradise. The diet consists mainly of fruits.
The British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
zoologist Philip Lutley Sclater named this species after Dr. Peter Comrie, who discovered the bird at Fergusson Island
Fergusson Island
Fergusson Island is the largest island of the D'Entrecasteaux Islands, in Papua New Guinea. It has an area of just over 500 square miles , and mostly consists of mountainous regions, covered by rain forests...
in 1874.
A common species in its limited habitat range, the Curl-crested Manucode is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix II of CITES.