Paradisaea
Encyclopedia
The genus Paradisaea consists of seven species of birds-of-paradise (family Paradisaeidae). The genus is found on the island of New Guinea
as well as the nearby islands groups of the Aru Islands
, D'Entrecasteaux Islands
and West Papua Islands
. The species inhabit a range of forest types from sea level to mid-montane forests. Several species have highly restricted distributions, and all species have disjunct distributions. A 2009 study examining the mitochondrial DNA
of the family found that the Paradisaea birds-of-paradise were in a clade
with the genus Cicinnurus
. It showed that the Blue Bird-of-paradise
was a sister taxon to all the other species in this genus.
All are large, and sexually dimorphic
. The plumage
of the males includes characteristic grossly elongated flank plumes
(which emerge from beneath the wings and strictly speaking are flank plumes pectoral plumes), and a pair of wire-like feathers emerging from the end of the tail. The flank plumes are used during breeding displays.
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
as well as the nearby islands groups of the Aru Islands
Aru Islands
The Aru Islands are a group of about ninety-five low-lying islands in the Maluku province of eastern Indonesia. They also form a regency of Indonesia.-Geography:...
, D'Entrecasteaux Islands
D'Entrecasteaux Islands
D'Entrecasteaux Islands are situated near the eastern tip of New Guinea in the Solomon Sea in Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. The group spans a distance of 160 km, has a total land area of approximately 3,100 km² and is separated from the Papua New Guinea mainland by the...
and West Papua Islands
Raja Ampat Islands
Located off the northwest tip of Bird's Head Peninsula on the island of New Guinea, in Indonesia's West Papua province, Raja Ampat, or the Four Kings, is an archipelago comprising over 1,500 small islands, cays and shoals surrounding the four main islands of Misool, Salawati, Batanta and Waigeo,...
. The species inhabit a range of forest types from sea level to mid-montane forests. Several species have highly restricted distributions, and all species have disjunct distributions. A 2009 study examining the mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondrial DNA is the DNA located in organelles called mitochondria, structures within eukaryotic cells that convert the chemical energy from food into a form that cells can use, adenosine triphosphate...
of the family found that the Paradisaea birds-of-paradise were in a clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
with the genus Cicinnurus
Cicinnurus
The genus Cicinnurus consist of three Sickletails Bird of paradise.All three species are sexually dimorphic and have bright blue legs and feet.-Species:* King Bird-of-paradise,...
. It showed that the Blue Bird-of-paradise
Blue Bird-of-paradise
The Blue Bird-of-paradise, , is a medium-sized bird-of-paradise.Regarded by some ornithologists as the loveliest of all birds, the Blue Bird-of-paradise was discovered by Carl Hunstein in 1884...
was a sister taxon to all the other species in this genus.
All are large, and sexually dimorphic
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
. The plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
of the males includes characteristic grossly elongated flank plumes
Feather
Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on birds and some non-avian theropod dinosaurs. They are considered the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates, and indeed a premier example of a complex evolutionary novelty. They...
(which emerge from beneath the wings and strictly speaking are flank plumes pectoral plumes), and a pair of wire-like feathers emerging from the end of the tail. The flank plumes are used during breeding displays.
Species
- Lesser Bird-of-paradise, Paradisaea minor
- Greater Bird-of-paradise, Paradisaea apoda
- Raggiana Bird-of-paradise, Paradisaea raggiana
- Goldie's Bird-of-paradise, Paradisaea decora
- Red Bird-of-paradise, Paradisaea rubra
- Emperor Bird-of-paradise, Paradisaea guilielmi
- Blue Bird-of-paradiseBlue Bird-of-paradiseThe Blue Bird-of-paradise, , is a medium-sized bird-of-paradise.Regarded by some ornithologists as the loveliest of all birds, the Blue Bird-of-paradise was discovered by Carl Hunstein in 1884...
, Paradisaea rudolphi