Geographic Range
Cicinnurus magnificus
occurs throughout the mountains of the islands of New Guinea.
- Other Geographic Terms
- island endemic
Habitat
Cicinnurus magnificus
is a tropical species found in the forested mountains of New Guinea. Magnificent
birds-of-paradise are found in the upper canopy of the rainforest, almost exclusively
in the mountains. They can also be seen in abandoned gardens in villages and small
cities. Magnificent birds-of-paradise seems to be fairly tolerant of disturbed habitat
and human settlement.
- Habitat Regions
- tropical
- terrestrial
- Terrestrial Biomes
- rainforest
- mountains
- Other Habitat Features
- suburban
Physical Description
Male magnificent birds-of-paradise are spectacular birds with dark breasts that ranges
from green to brown, and bright orange wings. Neck feathers are striped yellow. The
most distinguishing characteristic is the two long, wire-like tail feathers that the
male uses in the courtship display. Males cannot display to find a mate until these
feathers grow in, which happens between three and six years after hatching. Females
are drab, brown birds and can be difficult to tell from other female birds of paradise.
Females do have a light blue eye stripe, which males also have. Males range from 16
to 26 cm in length and weigh 190 grams on average. Females are smaller, averaging
20 cm in length and 128 grams.
- Other Physical Features
- endothermic
- homoiothermic
- bilateral symmetry
- Sexual Dimorphism
- male larger
- sexes colored or patterned differently
- male more colorful
Reproduction
Magnificent birds-of-paradise are known for their striking sexual dimorphism. Male
magnificent birds-of-paradise are elaborately colored with long, ornamental tail feathers.
Females are relatively drab, having brown feathers and normal looking tail feathers.
The males lek during the breeding season. Each male picks a display area and “cleans”
it by removing twigs and leaves. The males then perform an elaborate display that
showcase their spectacular feathers. This performance involves fluffing up their feathers
and dancing around the female while calling. When mating occurs it is brief and afterwards
both male and female fly off: the male to find and display to other females and the
female to pursue other males or to make a nest and raise the young. Magnificent birds-of-paradise
are a polygamous and promiscuous species. Both males and females may mate with more
than one partner and the males do not contribute to the raising of young.
- Mating System
- polygynandrous (promiscuous)
Magnificent birds-of-paradise breed between the months of July and December (late
spring to early summer). Offspring are reared by the mother. One to two eggs are
laid at a time in canopy nests. The young birds are fledged around 36 days after
hatching, but some, often males, will stick around for another month. Females reach
sexual maturity at about one year, and males between three and six years because they
must grow out their long tail feathers before they can mate.
- Key Reproductive Features
- iteroparous
- seasonal breeding
- gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
- sexual
- oviparous
Males do not contribute to raising or protecting the young. After mating occurs, females
build a nest and raise the one to three young on their own. Young fledge after about
30 days, but often stay with the mother for some time.
- Parental Investment
- altricial
-
pre-fertilization
- provisioning
-
protecting
- female
-
pre-hatching/birth
-
provisioning
- female
-
protecting
- female
-
provisioning
-
pre-weaning/fledging
-
provisioning
- female
-
protecting
- female
-
provisioning
-
pre-independence
-
provisioning
- female
-
protecting
- female
-
provisioning
- post-independence association with parents
Lifespan/Longevity
Lifespan of magnificent birds-of-paradise is not well known. However birds-of-paradise
species (
Paradisaeidae
) are generally long lived birds, and living to 30 years in captivity is not unusual.
Behavior
Magnificent birds-of-paradise are diurnal, social, and non-territorial species. While
females and males do not often interact outside of mating, individual birds forage
with same-sex conspecifics. They are also seen in mix species flocks. Very few specifics
about their behavior are known.
Home Range
Not much is known about range size in magnificent birds-of-paradise, but they do not defend territories and they do not migrate.
Communication and Perception
Magnificent birds-of-paradise use a large number of calls for communication. Birds-of-paradise
(
Paradisaeidae
) are an incredibly vocal group, known for elaborate courtship songs and a wide variety
of calls for more everyday communication. The brightness of feathers in the male
communicates readiness to breed and is perhaps a fitness indicator, though this has
yet to be verified.
Food Habits
Magnificent birds-of-paradise feed primarily on fruit (about 80-90% of the diet) and
a small amount of insects, mostly beetles and crickets (about 10-20% of the diet).
They are often seen in mixed foraging flocks, particularly out of the breeding season.
These flocks contain other birds-of-paradise (
Paradisaeidae
), sunbirds (
Nectariniidae
), and other frugivore canopy species.
- Animal Foods
- insects
- terrestrial non-insect arthropods
- Plant Foods
- fruit
- flowers
Predation
Not including humans, magnificent birds-of-paradise have almost no predators. Large
mammal predators do not exist in New Guinea. Humans have traditionally used their
feathers for clothing, and in the early part of the 20th century many dead birds and
feathers were exported to make fashionable hats. This has since been made illegal,
although the native people are allowed to kill a small number for traditional practices.
Ecosystem Roles
Not much is known about specific ecosystem roles, however it is suspected that magnificent
birds-of-paradise are influential in seed dispersal.
- Ecosystem Impact
- disperses seeds
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Cicinnurus magnificus
is not of any economic importance, although some of the native peoples of New Guinea
use their feathers for traditional clothing and head-dresses.
- Positive Impacts
- body parts are source of valuable material
- research and education
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
There are no known adverse effects of magnificent birds-of-paradise on humans.
Conservation Status
Cicinnurus magnificus
is currently not in any conservation danger. They are extremely common in the forests
and villages of New Guinea. They can inhabit areas of human settlement and quickly
move into to colonize abandoned farms and gardens. However, continued human encroachment
into forests may ultimately impact populations of magnificent birds-of-paradise.
Additional Links
Contributors
Tanya Dewey (editor), Animal Diversity Web.
Lenore Yaeger (author), Northern Michigan University, Alec R. Lindsay (editor, instructor), Northern Michigan University.
- oriental
-
found in the oriental region of the world. In other words, India and southeast Asia.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- island endemic
-
animals that live only on an island or set of islands.
- tropical
-
the region of the earth that surrounds the equator, from 23.5 degrees north to 23.5 degrees south.
- terrestrial
-
Living on the ground.
- rainforest
-
rainforests, both temperate and tropical, are dominated by trees often forming a closed canopy with little light reaching the ground. Epiphytes and climbing plants are also abundant. Precipitation is typically not limiting, but may be somewhat seasonal.
- mountains
-
This terrestrial biome includes summits of high mountains, either without vegetation or covered by low, tundra-like vegetation.
- suburban
-
living in residential areas on the outskirts of large cities or towns.
- endothermic
-
animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds.
- bilateral symmetry
-
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
- polygynandrous
-
the kind of polygamy in which a female pairs with several males, each of which also pairs with several different females.
- iteroparous
-
offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes).
- seasonal breeding
-
breeding is confined to a particular season
- sexual
-
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
- oviparous
-
reproduction in which eggs are released by the female; development of offspring occurs outside the mother's body.
- altricial
-
young are born in a relatively underdeveloped state; they are unable to feed or care for themselves or locomote independently for a period of time after birth/hatching. In birds, naked and helpless after hatching.
- arboreal
-
Referring to an animal that lives in trees; tree-climbing.
- diurnal
-
- active during the day, 2. lasting for one day.
- motile
-
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
- sedentary
-
remains in the same area
- social
-
associates with others of its species; forms social groups.
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- herbivore
-
An animal that eats mainly plants or parts of plants.
- frugivore
-
an animal that mainly eats fruit
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
References
Beehler, B., M. Foster. 1988. Hotshots, Hotspots, and Female Preferences in the Orgnization of Lek Mating Systems. The American Naturalist , 131/2: 203-219.
Heads, M. 2001. Birds of Paradise, biogeography and ecology in New Guinea: a review. Journal of Biogeography , 28: 893-925.
Heads, M. 2002. Birds of paradise, vicariance biogeography and terrane tectonics in New Guinea. Journal of Biogeography , 29: 261-283.
Marsden, S., C. Symes, A. Mack. 2006. The response of New Guinea avifauna to conservation of forest to small-scale agriculture. Ibis , 148: 629-640.
McNab, B. 2005. Food habits and the evolution of energetics in birds of paradise (Paradiseaidea). Journal of Comparative Physiology , 175: 117-132.
Zoological Society of San Diego. 2008. "San Diego Zoo's Animal Bytes: Birds of Paradise" (On-line). Accessed April 14, 2008 at http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-bird_of_paradise.html .