The male Blue Bird-of-paradise is known for its beautiful appearance. Their numbers are believed to have dropped due to their being hunted for trophies. Habitat loss also troubles the Blue Bird-of-paradise.
Body length: 30 cm
(Source: Doubutsu Sekai-isan* Red Data Animals Kodansha) (*World Animal Heritage)
Blue Birds-of-paradise are found only in the mountains of Papua New Guinea, a country located in the eastern part of the New Guinea Island just north of the Australian continent.
The Blue Bird-of-paradise likes to eat fruits. They also eat insects like grasshoppers and crickets.
The male courts female blue birds using its beautiful and decorative plumes. These plumes make the male irresistibly attractive. They are a very stylish species of birds.
Feathers, beautiful enough to propose with?!
The Blue Bird-of-paradise is a bird that lives in the mountains of Papua New Guinea. The male is known for its beautiful plumes. The male has dazzling blue wings, two long ribbon-like tail feathers, and an impressive lace-like plume that extends from its belly. When courting, the male displays its rainbow-colored plumes to the female by hanging from a branch.
Beauty attracts tragedy
Unfortunately, the beauty of the Blue Bird-of-paradise attracts humans as well as female blue birds. Their numbers are believed to have dropped due to their being hunted for trophies. Eventually, hunting was banned. But now, they are on the brink of extinction due to habitat loss caused by land development. Much remains unknown about their ecology, which is the study of how the blue birds live. We need to study the nature of their habitat before we can begin meaningful conservation work.
If you click the words above, you can see other animals related to this one.