Splendid astrapia
The splendid astrapia (Astrapia splendidissima) is a bird-of-paradise about 39 cm long. The male is black with an iridescent yellow-green mantle (cloak). It has a blue-green throat, dark green below. The tail feathers are short, broad and white with black tips. The female has a brown plumage and dark head.
| Splendid Astrapia | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Paradisaeidae |
| Genus: | Astrapia |
| Species: | A. splendidissima
|
| Binomial name | |
| Astrapia splendidissima Rothschild, 1895
| |
Little is known about this bird. It lives in the mountain forests of the west central highlands of New Guinea. Its diet is fruit, insects, lizards and frogs.
Splendid Astrapia Media
Specimen of a male A. s. splendidissima from the Naturalis Biodiversity Center. Note the shiny iridescent bluish-green chin and throat.
Female A. s. splendidissima specimen. As mentioned in the text, note how drastically different the plumage of the female is from the males'.
References
- ↑ BirdLife International (2012). "Astrapia splendidissima". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.