Standardwing Bird of Paradise-Semioptera wallacei Bram Demeulemeester

These birds are mainly frugivorous and feed on a wide variety of fruit like figs and drupes. But they won’t pass on an insect if the opportunity presents itself. Typically forage in densely foliaged forest canopies. The diet is fruits and arthropods and probably small vertebrates. We could barely see the parachute display; in the dim light, we strained to see the birds through the dense foliage. Two birds were right over our heads and displayed vigorously.

Following its original discovery, the Standardwing wasn’t seen again for nearly 60 years, and then only a handful of times until 1953. No further sightings were reported until the British ornithologist David Bishop rediscovered the species in 1983 and began making the first detailed observations of its behaviour. The males are up to 11 inches long, and besides its crown and west, the most impressive features are two pairs of long white plumes protruding from the bend at the wing. A common species in its limited habitat range, the standardwing bird-of-paradise is evaluated as being of least concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to its increasingly fragmented habitat. George Robert Gray of the British Museum named this species in honour of Alfred Russel Wallace, British naturalist and author of The Malay Archipelago, who in 1858 was the first European to describe the bird.

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The standardwing bird-of-paradise is medium-sized, approximately 28 cm long, and olive brown. The male has a gloss violet-and-lilac coloured crown and emerald-green breast shield. Its most striking features are two pairs of long white plumes coming out from the bend of the wing that can be raised or lowered at the bird’s will.

However, the Port Moresby Nature Park and Adventure Park PNG in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea are easily accessible zoos that have fine collections of various species. Each park has a walk-through aviary where you can view the animals up close as they feed on fruits and fly around their rainforest habitat. The first introduction of a bird-of-paradise to Europe was a result of Ferdinand Magellan’s first circumnavigation of the earth. When the voyagers were at Tidore in December 1521, they were offered a gift of beautiful dead birds by the ruler of Bacan to give to the King of Spain.

We were up well before dawn and drove about 30 minutes from the small dive resort near the town of Weda. What is now known as Wallace’s Line runs between Borneo and Sulawesi. The Wallace’s Standardwing engaging in what is known as “lekking” behavior. Wallace’s observations of the abrupt differences in the sets of fauna between the western islands of the archipelago and those of the eastern islands became the basis of biogeography. Now you can see it, too — take a look above at the video I shot of a displaying Wallace’s Standardwing on a recent trip to Indonesia.

• The Birds Of Paradise have a wingspan of 20cm to 120cm (7.9in to 47in).
• The males assemble each morning just before dawn.
• When his assistant Ali one day brought him a “curious bird,” Wallace realized that he had “a great prize, no less than a completely new form of the bird of paradise, differing most remarkably from every other known bird.”

The stone features the crossed keys of the Leiden coat of arms . My quest on this journey had been to see the standardwings, but there was far more in store. It is named for Alfred Russell Wallace, who conducted important biological studies on the islands of the Malay Archipelago. Polygamy is the practice of breeding with multiple partners. When a male breeds with more than one female at the same time – it is called polygyny….

Forages for fruits in small groups of 3 to 4 birds. On the drive from Sofifi to Weda we saw endemic long-billed crows and the also endemic blue-and-white kingfisher. Here below is the view of the east coast of Halmahera overlooking the town of Weda. In fiscal year NAL delivered more than 100 million direct customer service transactions. They led him to develop the same concepts of natural selection and speciation that Darwin was developing. These birds are mainly frugivorous but will eat an insect occasionally.

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The standardwing bird-of-paradise is endemic to and confined to three islands in Northern Maluku, eastern Indonesia, being the westernmost species of true birds-of-paradise. The standardwing bird-of-paradise , also known as Wallace’s standardwing is wearing a stunningly slick crown of violet-and-lilac, and its suit is finished off with a bright emerald green vest. Its impressive looks make it one of the prettiest birds in the animal kingdom. Some species are monogamous, meaning they mate for life. This means that groups of males display and dance together. The watching female then chooses her favorite from the group.

Breeding season at least from May to September. Males form a lek (5 – 7 males together) and perform a complex display from traditional perches on trees. When his assistant Ali one day brought him a “curious bird,” Wallace realized that he had “a great prize, no less than a completely new form of the bird of paradise, differing most remarkably from every other known bird.” On its island home, they prefer lowland tropical rainforest in hilly regions. However, they can sometimes be found in isolated woodland. Polygynous, with densely lekking promiscuous adult males forming aggregations of or more at traditional display trees.

She may mate with a different male each nesting season. These birds are primarily found in Australia and New Guinea. The Australian species are commonly called riflebirds and manucodes. After a journey last October in search of the birds of paradise in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, I wanted to see this standardwing for myself. They then choose a perch, lean forward, and shake the long white pennant-like plumes that extend from the shoulder area of the wing. They spread an iridescent green shield of breast feathers.

Some marvelous dives, the visit to the area of Wallace’s house on Ternate and a tour of the island were unexpected bonuses. This, ladies and gentlemen, is a Wallace’s standardwing bird of paradise, named for Alfred Russel Wallace in 1859 by G.R. Gray, “for the indefatigable energy he has hitherto shown in the advancement of ornithological and entomological knowledge, by visiting localities rarely if ever travelled by naturalists.” Males are polygamous, meeting up to perform a magnificent aerial display.

Following its original discovery in 1858, the standardwing bird-of-paradise was not seen again for nearly 60 years, and then only a handful of times until 1953. Birds of paradise belong to one of around 45 species of birds called by that name. They are known for their bright feathers and unique, sometimes outlandish, mating dances. I spent the rest of the day looking for birds, encountering 23 endemic species amongst the total. Some highlights included paradise kingfishers, Blyth’s hornbill and noisy white umbrella cockatoos in addition to the variety of parrots, lories and lorikeets and the various fruit doves and imperial pigeons.

They also fall victim to hunters who wish to sell their beautiful feathers or use them for ceremonial garb. Interestingly, birdwatching tourism has deterred the hunting of the birds. These birds exhibit some of the most interesting and entertaining behaviors of any bird. Males go to great lengths to attract the attention of females. They will often clear a “dance floor” – a branch or a patch of ground – by removing all leaves, twigs, and debris.

Birds, shy and inconspicuous except at leks, typically frequent the lower forest canopy and subcanopy. I read your reviews of iPad software and it sounds like Audubon’s is the one to pick. Is there one that’s global, or does Audubon or anybody make ones for various countries?

Breeding during at least May through September. The only nest described was an open cup that included dry leaves and was 33 ft above ground; it contained one egg. When specimens were first brought to Europe during the 1500s, some people thought the Bird of Paradise was the phoenix of myth. In a native language, they were called “birds of God,” and that is from where the name “bird of paradise” was derived. Restricted-range species, still fairly common in suitable habitat.

Generally, females of the species have bigger beaks. Though it has a very limited habitat range, the standardwing bird-of-paradise is quite common throughout it. It is labeled as the least concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to its progressively fragmented habitat.

Both species are presently widespread and common on Halmahera and cannot be considered immediately endangered there, but populations on smaller Moluccan islands require study and regular monitoring. This was a short, but thoroughly enriching visit to the Islands of Ternate and Halmahera, with some magnificent wildlife encounters both above and below water. The mission to see the standardwing was successful and my personal experience of birds of paradise was extended westward from the highlands of Papua New Guinea.

Depending on the species, males may hold their wings and tails at odd angles, puff out their chests, and dance rhythmically. With the light came a clearer view of the two male standardwings present at the lek, revealing the white shoulder plumes, the blue pectoral gorget and green frontal “bib,” “scaled with fine metallic green,” as Wallace had noted. Following the initial phase of “fly-up-then-parachute”, they danced in the near-dark, flicking out the shoulder plumes and hopping from branch to branch. As the light came up they slowed down and rested as seen in the two photographs below. George Robert Gray of the British Museum named this species in honor of Alfred Russel Wallace, British naturalist and author of The Malay Archipelago, who discovered the bird in 1858.

A Fang Axe and accounts by Du Chaillu, Burton and others in 19th C Gabon

Flying snakes are the only gliding limbless vertebrates or animals with a backbone. They live in a tropical climate that is a suitable temperature and which provides ample food year-round. The Birds Of Paradise have a wingspan of 20cm to 120cm (7.9in to 47in). Birds Of Paradise eat insects, fruit, seeds, and berries. Sometimes, when territories overlap, hybridization occurs as species interbreed. This introduces even more variations in appearance.

From time to time a bird would flutter upwards in a clearing and then allow itself to fall back down, white plumes extended. The presence of the standardwing lek is evident to the ears some time before reaching it. As we approached, a dusky scrubfowl trotted along the path. These birds are rarely seen as they keep to themselves up high in the tree canopies. The standardwing bird-of-paradise can be found on three islands in Northern Maluku, eastern Indonesia.