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

Comments with links or HTML will be deleted. Your comment will be published pending approval.

Your name (required)

Your email address (required)

Your email address will not be published

Comment (required)

I agree to receive updates and news from Birdorable

You can unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For more information on how to unsubscribe, our privacy practices, and how we are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy, please review our Privacy Policy. By clicking submit below, you consent to allow Birdorable to store and process the personal information submitted above to provide you the content requested.

Hummingbird Week 2024

Red-billed Streamertail: Jamaica’s Dazzling Doctor Bird

June 18, 2024

For this Hummingbird Week, we're introducing a fabulous new species of hummingbird to the Birdorable family: the Red-billed Streamertail! The Red-billed Streamertail is one of the most dazzling and delightful birds you can find in Jamaica. This bird is not only a sight to behold but also holds...

2017 Bonanza Bird #10: White-winged Guan

December 3, 2017

Today's new Birdorable is the White-winged Guan! The White-winged Guan is a critically endangered species found in a small area of Peru. They live around ravines and feed on things like seeds, fruit, leaves, and other plant matter. White-winged Guans were thought to...

2015 Bonanza Bird #10: Northern Flicker

December 10, 2015

Today our Birdorable Bonanza: 2015 Advent Edition continues with a New World woodpecker: the Northern Flicker! The Northern Flicker is a fairly common and widespread species across its range and can be found across North America. There are two living subspecies: the...

2018 Bonanza Bird #9: Tufted Puffin

December 1, 2018

Today's new bird is a seabird of the Pacific Ocean: the Tufted Puffin! The Tufted Puffin is also known as the Crested Puffin. Both males and females develop yellow tufts of feathers on the sides of the head during breeding season. Adult...

Birdorable Blog