2013 Bonanza Bird #19: King Bird-of-paradise

July 19, 2013 in Birdorable Bonanza 2013 and Birds-of-Paradise with 6 comments

We're adding one new bird each day until we reach our 500th Birdorable species on the last day of July. Today's Bonanza bird is the King Bird-of-paradise.

The King Bird-of-paradise is the smallest of the bird-of-paradise family. It lives in Papau New Guinea and on outlying islands. Males are stunning with red body plumage, a white chest, blue feet, and long green-tipped tail feathers that extend nearly five inches from end to end. All male birds-of-paradise have remarkable colorful plumage and special feathers that they use in dances or other rituals in order to attract females. This short video shows a male King Bird-of-paradise performing part of its dance.

King Bird-of-Paradise video copyright Cornell Lab of Ornithology

If you'd like to see more King Bird-of-paradise action, check out this video from the Smithsonian: Dancers on Fire: King Bird-of-Paradise. It includes a female King Bird-of-paradise, so you can clearly see that the species is sexually dimorphic (males and females have different plumage).

Tomorrow's new Bonanza bird makes a sound like another animal, and that's how it got its name. bonanza-2013-preview-20

Comments

Dominic Morrell on July 19, 2013 at 11:40 AM wrote:

Grey Catbird?

nuthatches are awesome on July 19, 2013 at 9:14 PM wrote:

Gray Catbird

Louise Warner on February 23, 2017 at 4:21 PM wrote:

grey catbird

Spurwing Plover on May 22, 2022 at 5:27 PM wrote:

Riflebird

Spurwing Plover on June 4, 2022 at 7:08 AM wrote:

Dose his Dance upside down

Spurwing Plover on February 5, 2025 at 6:03 PM wrote:

Beware or he'll fly up your nose

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