This grouping includes the famous Greater Bird-of-Paradise ( Paradisaea apoda), the largest bird within this group who dons the notable white and yellow tail plumage. Of all the species, 35 are polygamous and tend to have elaborate feathers and dance rituals, while the remaining few are monogamous and are less colourful ( 3).Īmong the most notable of the Birds-of-Paradise are the plumebirds ( 4) – the seven species of Paradisaea sp. However, within the Paradisaeidae family there is significant diversity with not all species exhibiting these traits and behaviours. In these mating rituals that always occur in the same place known as a lek, males will repeatedly jump from one branch to another or hang upside down to show off their lovely tail plumes. These Birds-of-Paradise are known for their colourful, long and elaborate feathers and fascinating courtship dance performances. Map of distribution of iconic Birds-of-Paradise species from National Geographic magazine, December 2012 issue, Photos by Tim Laman. They are small to medium-sized birds that can only be found in the dense tropical forests of Eastern Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and surrounding islands as well as in far northeastern Australia. Of all the species, the undeniable homeland of the Birds-of-Paradise, with 38 of these species being found on the island of New Guinea, many exclusively ( 2). People who connect with the Birds-of-Paradise are at home in the spotlight and naturally draw attention to themselves with their attractiveness and outspoken nature – as the birds themselves do so with their enchanting dance rituals.Ī Bird-of-Paradise is actually any one of the 45 species ( 1) within the Family Paradisaeidae which come under the Order Passeriformes – the perching birds or songbirds. These birds have been used to symbolise power – especially in competition, bravery and invulnerability, affluence, and even sexuality and fertility. They have been sought after for centuries because of their iridescent colour schemes and extravagantly long feathers that have been used decoratively and ceremonially by various cultures. a world where beauty and behavior are intertwined, a spectacle not possible any other place on Earth.The name says it all, Birds-of-Paradise are colourful, exotic creatures that have been considered a direct gift from God and the heavens. SPEAKER 1: Witness diverse strategies of evolution at work and experience one of nature's most extraordinary hidden wonders up close. And that's how did it happen- how did the birds of paradise come to be? SPEAKER 1: What about New Guinea has led to these birds evolving here and nowhere else? What function do their outrageous plumes and ornaments play? And what exactly are they doing?ĮD SCHOLES: For me, it still always goes back to the original driving question. If one little feature is out-of-whack, you're going to be able to tell. The more complex it is, the harder it is to make it look right. SPEAKER 1: The birds of paradise are remarkable not only for their exceptional beauty and almost otherworldly appearance, but as veritable living textbooks on adaptation and sexual selection.ĮD SCHOLES: The females are looking at this whole package and can discern something about him by minor variations. They're something that is without precedent, something that evolved that's so unique and so exceptional that you're driven to say why, or how did that happen, how did that come to be? SPEAKER 1: They've been photographing, analyzing, and recording their every move, every behavior, in an attempt to comprehend their secrets, and in doing so revealing extreme examples of the miracle of evolution.ĮD SCHOLES: Birds of paradise represent one of these singular events of evolution that stand out that are extraordinary. TIM LAMAN: Well, The only way to see a king bird of paradise is to climb up into the trees where they love. SPEAKER 1: Evolutionary biologist Ed Scholes and wildlife photographer Tim Laman have spent the better part of a decade trekking into this isolated wilderness in pursuit of all 39 species of these miraculous birds.ĮD SCHOLES: Oh, I can see him. And you can tell that this is just ridge after ridge and valley after valley. They're just looking up into a wall of steep slope. They're unlike any creatures on earth, and one of the most astounding phenomena ever witnessed- the birds of paradise.įound here, in the nearly impenetrable mountains and valleys of the island of New Guinea, in the greatest remaining tract of rainforest in the entire Asia-Pacific region, they exist nowhere else on Earth.ĮD SCHOLES: The vast, vast majority of the land around here has no road access. They transform themselves to something that you've never seen before. SPEAKER 1: They go from expected to extraordinary in the blink of an eye.ĮD SCHOLES: You're awestricken.
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