Parotia
Encyclopedia
The parotias are a genus
, Parotia, of passerine birds in the bird-of-paradise family Paradisaeidae. They are found on New Guinea
, to which they are endemic. They are also known as six-plumed birds of paradise, due to their six head quills. These birds were featured prominently in the BBC series Planet Earth
.
The males of the genus are characterized by an ornamental plumage consisting of six wired head plumes with black oval
-shaped tips, a neck collar of black, decomposed feathers which can be spread into a skirt
-like shape, and bright or iridescent head and throat markings. During courtship, they perform ballerina
-like dances and spread out their "skirt" on a patch of forest floor they have meticulously cleaned of dead leaves and other debris. The "ballerina dances" usually consist of the male hopping from foot and bobbing their heads from side to side. The males are polygamous and do not take part in raising the young. Clutch
size is somewhat uncertain; it is usually one to three eggs.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
, Parotia, of passerine birds in the bird-of-paradise family Paradisaeidae. They are found on New Guinea
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...
, to which they are endemic. They are also known as six-plumed birds of paradise, due to their six head quills. These birds were featured prominently in the BBC series Planet Earth
Planet Earth (TV series)
Planet Earth is a 2006 television series produced by the BBC Natural History Unit. Five years in the making, it was the most expensive nature documentary series ever commissioned by the BBC, and also the first to be filmed in high definition...
.
The males of the genus are characterized by an ornamental plumage consisting of six wired head plumes with black oval
Oval (geometry)
In technical drawing, an oval is a figure constructed from two pairs of arcs, with two different radii . The arcs are joined at a point, in which lines tangential to both joining arcs lie on the same line, thus making the joint smooth...
-shaped tips, a neck collar of black, decomposed feathers which can be spread into a skirt
Skirt
A skirt is a tube- or cone-shaped garment that hangs from the waist and covers all or part of the legs.In the western world, skirts are usually considered women's clothing. However, there are exceptions...
-like shape, and bright or iridescent head and throat markings. During courtship, they perform ballerina
Ballerina
A ballerina is a title used to describe a principal female professional ballet dancer in a large company; the male equivalent to this title is danseur or ballerino...
-like dances and spread out their "skirt" on a patch of forest floor they have meticulously cleaned of dead leaves and other debris. The "ballerina dances" usually consist of the male hopping from foot and bobbing their heads from side to side. The males are polygamous and do not take part in raising the young. Clutch
Clutch (eggs)
A clutch of eggs refers to all the eggs produced by birds or reptiles, often at a single time, particularly those laid in a nest.In birds, destruction of a clutch by predators, , results in double-clutching...
size is somewhat uncertain; it is usually one to three eggs.
Species
- Western ParotiaWestern ParotiaThe Western or Arfak Parotia, Parotia sefilata, is a medium-sized, approximately 33 cm long, bird of paradise with a medium-length tail. The male has black plumage with an iridescent golden-green breast shield and triangular silver feathers on its crown...
, Parotia sefilata - Queen Carola's Parotia, Parotia carolae
- Bronze Parotia, Parotia berlepschi
- Lawes's ParotiaLawes's ParotiaLawes's Parotia, Parotia lawesii, is a medium-sized passerine of the birds of paradise family, Paradisaeidae. It is distributed and endemic to mountain forests of southeast and eastern Papua New Guinea. Occasionally, the Eastern Parotia is considered a subspecies of P...
, Parotia lawesii - Eastern ParotiaEastern ParotiaThe Eastern Parotia 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 helenae - Wahnes's ParotiaWahnes's ParotiaWahnes's Parotia is a medium-sized passerine of the birds of paradise family . The male has an iridescent yellow-green breast shield, elongated black plumes, three erectile spatule head wires behind each eye, coppery-bronzed nasal tuft feathers and long, wedge-shaped tail feathers. The female is a...
, Parotia wahnesi