#8: GALLERY: BIRDS OF WEST PAPUA

What we captured during our visit at West Papua, Indonesia. Our behind the scenes can be read here.

Magnificent Bird-of-Paradise

A medium-sized bird of foothill and lower montane forest. Male has bottle green chest and yellow from the back of the neck, both of which it can erect into elaborate ornamentation during the display at a court on the ground. Long, flattened, curly tail feathers reflect blue. The female is brown above and barred below. Male is unmistakable. Female Magnificent is smaller than female parotias and lophorinas, and larger than female King, and has a blue bill and stripe behind the eye. Male gives a series of downslurred “joo!” notes, a loud ringing “jip!” or harsh rasps. (E-Bird)

western parotia

A large bird of mid-montane forest canopy. Male is mainly black with a white patch on the forehead, bronzy-scaled chest and 6 antennalike feathers projecting from the back of the head. Note the blue eye. The female is dark brown above with, heavily barred underparts, black head and white moustache stripe. The male has an elaborate dance at a terrestrial display court. The only parotia in range. Female similar to Vogelkop Lophorhina but Western Parotia female is larger with a moustache stripe and blue eyes. Vocalizations include parrotlike squawking and a loud nasal “raak!”.

VOGELKOP LOPHORINA (SUPERB BIRD-OF-PARADISE)

A fairly large bird of mid-montane forest. Male, mainly black plumage with 2 remarkable erectile fans which are lifted up over the head during its display. Metallic, blue-green, trapezium-shaped breast shield and patches above the eyes. Female has a dark brown back, barred underparts and a black head. Adult male is unmistakeable, but female is distinguished from Western Parotia female by its smaller size and Magnificent Bird-of-Paradise female by its larger size and black bill. The male’s yellow-green mouth interior is visible while it gives its piercing nasal screech.

ALL OTHERS

Name of species are listed below each photo.