Ribbon-tailed astrapia

Last updated

Ribbon-tailed astrapia
Ribbon-tailed Astrapia male. (Astrapia mayeri) (48941080772).jpg
Adult male A. mayeri
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Paradisaeidae
Genus: Astrapia
Species:
A. mayeri
Binomial name
Astrapia mayeri
Stonor, 1939

The ribbon-tailed astrapia, also known as Shaw Mayer's astrapia (Astrapia mayeri), is a species of bird-of-paradise.

Contents

The ribbon-tailed astrapia is distributed and endemic to subalpine forests in western part of the central highlands of Papua New Guinea. Like many other ornamental birds-of-paradise, the male is polygamous. The ribbon-tailed astrapia is the most recently discovered bird-of-paradise.

The ribbon-tailed astrapia is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. [1] It is listed on Appendix II of CITES. The long tails of male birds add to the threat, being as though the tail makes it difficult for the species to escape from natural predators.

The scientific name commemorates the great naturalist and New Guinea explorer Fred Shaw Mayer, who was believed to have discovered the bird in 1938. However, it is now believed that explorer Jack Hides discovered the bird, while Mayer became interested in it later. [2]

Description

Male with long tail feathers Ribbon-tailed Astrapia.jpg
Male with long tail feathers

The ribbon-tailed astrapia is medium-sized, up to 32 cm long (without including the tail of the male, which can be over 1 metre). Male ribbon-tailed astrapia are generally around 125 cm whereas females are around 35 cm. The body of males are velvet black. The male has an iridescent olive green and bronze plumage, and is adorned with ornamental "ball" plume above its bill and two extremely long, ribbon-like white tail feathers. The female has a much duller brown and black body with an iridescent head. Unlike males, females do not have the long white tails. Hybrids between this species and the Princess Stephanie's astrapia, in the small area where their ranges overlap, have been named Barnes's astrapia.

One of the most spectacular birds-of-paradise, the male ribbon-tailed astrapia has the longest tail feathers in relation to body size of any bird, over three times the length of its body.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red bird-of-paradise</span> Species of bird

The red bird-of-paradise, also called the cendrawasih merah, is a bird-of-paradise in the genus Paradisaea, family Paradisaeidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arfak astrapia</span> Species of bird

The Arfak astrapia is a species of astrapia, a group of birds found in the birds-of-paradise family Paradiseidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King bird-of-paradise</span> Species of bird

The king bird-of-paradise is a passerine bird of the Paradisaeidae (bird-of-paradise) family. It is considered by the IOC checklist to be the only member of the genus Cicinnurus, although the genus Diphyllodes is closely related and is subsumed under Cicinnurus by many other authorities.

<i>Astrapia</i> Genus of birds

Astrapia is a genus of birds-of-paradise. The genus contains five species, all endemic to New Guinea. The males have highly iridescent plumage and remarkably long tails. Females are duller and have shorter tails.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black sicklebill</span> Species of bird

The black sicklebill is a large member of the birds of paradise family, Paradisaeidae. This species is found throughout most of central New Guinea and the Vogelkop region to the northwest in montane forests at altitudes from 1,800 to 2,150 m.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emperor bird-of-paradise</span> Species of bird

The emperor bird-of-paradise, also known as emperor of Germany's bird-of-paradise, is a species of bird-of-paradise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magnificent bird-of-paradise</span> Species of bird

The magnificent bird-of-paradise is a species of bird-of-paradise. The magnificent bird-of-paradise is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. They are listed in Appendix II of CITES.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown sicklebill</span> Species of bird

The brown sicklebill is a species of bird-of-paradise that is found in the mountain forests of New Guinea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carola's parotia</span> Species of bird

Carola's parotia, also known as Queen Carola's six-wired bird-of-paradise or Queen Carola's parotia, is a species of bird-of-paradise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western parotia</span> Species of bird

The western or Arfak parotia is a medium-sized, approximately 33 cm long, bird-of-paradise with a medium-length tail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huon astrapia</span> Species of bird

The Huon astrapia, also known as Rothschild's astrapia, Huon bird-of-paradise, or Lord Rothschild's bird-of-paradise, is a species of bird-of-paradise belonging to the genus Astrapia. Like most of its congeners, A. rothschildi is a rather elusive member of its genus and family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephanie's astrapia</span> Species of bird

Stephanie's astrapia, also known as Princess Stephanie's astrapia, is a species of bird-of-paradise of the family Paradisaeidae, native to the Bird's Tail Peninsula. This species was first described by Carl Hunstein in 1884.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Splendid astrapia</span> Species of bird

The Splendid astrapia is a species of Astrapia of the birds-of-paradise family, Paradisaeidae, and one of the least known and most elusive of its family and genus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wahnes's parotia</span> Species of bird

Wahnes's parotia is a medium-sized passerine of the bird-of-paradise family (Paradisaeidae). This species is distributed and endemic to the mountain forests of Huon Peninsula and Adelbert Mountains, northeast Papua New Guinea. The diet consists mainly of fruits and arthropods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pale-billed sicklebill</span> Species of bird

The pale-billed sicklebill is a species of sicklebill that belongs to the family Paradisaeidae, which contains the birds-of-paradise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paradise riflebird</span> Species of bird

The paradise riflebird is a passerine bird of the family Paradisaeidae. It is one of four riflebird species in the genus Ptiloris. It is found in subtropical, temperate rainforests in eastern Australia. The species is sexually dimorphic; the male is black with iridescent blue-green patches, while the female is gray-brown and white.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lawes's parotia</span> Species of bird

Lawes's parotia, is a medium-sized passerine of the bird-of-paradise family, Paradisaeidae. It is distributed and endemic to mountain forests of southeast and eastern Papua New Guinea. Occasionally, the eastern parotia is considered a subspecies of P. lawesii. The species is similar to the western parotia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archbold's bowerbird</span> Species of bird

Archbold's bowerbird is a medium-sized, dark grey songbird with brown iris, grey feet and black bill. They can grow up to 37 cm long. The male has narrow black scalloping with some trace of golden yellow crown feathers and dark grey forked tail, that shorter than the wing. Both sexes are similar. The female is smaller than male, with yellow patch on wings and has no crown feathering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crinkle-collared manucode</span> Species of bird

The crinkle-collared manucode is a species of bird-of-paradise.

Barnes's astrapia, also known as Barnes's long-tailed bird-of-paradise or Barnes's long-tail, is a bird in the family Paradisaeidae and the genus Astrapia that is a likely hybrid between Stephanie's astrapia and the ribbon-tailed astrapia.

References

  1. 1 2 BirdLife International (2022). "Astrapia mayeri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022: e.T22706218A217469412. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
  2. Chandler, David; Couzens, Dominic (2008). 100 Birds to See Before You Die: The Ultimate Wish List for Birders Everywhere . ISBN   978-1-59223-958-0.