Little bird of paradise

Little bird of paradise

Despite its name, the Lesser Bird of Paradise(Paradisaea minor) is one of the medium-sized representatives of the Bird of Paradise family (Paradisaeidae) with a body length of 32 cm.

As with almost all birds of paradise, the males and females of the lesser bird of paradise are very different in appearance. The male's plumage is mainly reddish-brown in colour, the throat is emerald green and the head and back are yellow. The two central tail feathers are extremely elongated and reshaped into thin filaments. The decorative feathers are white and yellow in colour and give this bird of paradise its characteristic and familiar appearance. The female, on the other hand, is very inconspicuous. Its back and head are brown in colour and the breast and belly are white. It also has no elongated tail feathers or decorative feathers.

Nutrition

This bird of paradise feeds mainly on fruit but also on arthropods that it finds in the treetops. It often forms small groups with other birds of paradise to forage together.

Distribution

The habitat of the Lesser Bird of Paradise is rainforests, mountain forests and swamp forests up to an altitude of around 1500 metres. It is only found in the west and north of New Guinea.

The breeding season of the little bird of paradise is between July and February. During this time, the males meet in so-called "lek" trees to attract females and convince them by means of courtship dances. The male that dances in the most central position in the tree is usually the most successful. After mating, the female takes care of building the nest and rearing the young alone. The nest is built from twigs and leaves at a height of at least 6 metres, in which the female lays one or two eggs. After about 18 days, the young birds hatch, which then take about 18 days to fledge.

In contrast to many other bird of paradise species, the population of the Lesser Bird of Paradise is not endangered due to its relatively large distribution area. Although deforestation and hunting are a major problem in New Guinea, fortunately this does not appear to have had a major negative effect on the population of the Lesser Bird of Paradise.