Bird of Paradise Facts

Birds of paradise, of which there are about 44 species, are found only in New Guinea and northeastern Australia.
The King of Saxony bird of paradise has two 50 cm head plumes decorated with small, skyblue squares, so unusual-looking they were first thought to be fake.
The magnificent riflebird gets its name from its loud whistling call, which sounds like a passing bullet.
Most female birds of paradise make a cup or dome-shaped nest and lay 1-2 eggs.
During courtship, the blue bird of paradise hangs upside-down from a branch with his splendid blue feathers and tail plumes spread over his head.
Fruit and insects are the main foods of the birds of paradise. Some also eat leaves and buds.
New Guinea tribesmen traditionally wear bird of paradise feathers in their head-dresses.
During the early 19th century, 100,000 bird of paradise skins were sold each year in Europe for hat and dress decorations.
The first bird of paradise skins brought to Europe from New Guinea did not have feet, so some people thought the birds never landed.
The tail feathers of the male ribbon-tailed bird of paradise are up to 1 m long.

This entry is filed under Interesting Facts.