Described from trade-skins of unknown origins, Parotia berlepschi Kleinschmidt, 1897 was the subject of a longstanding ornithological mystery that remained unresolved for well over a century. With few specimens and no known wild population, most taxonomic assessments over the last century have treated P. berlepschi as a subspecies of Parotia carolae Meyer, 1894. Following discovery of its geographical home in 2005, most authorities returned to giving P. berlepschi full species status. However, evidence supporting the delineation of P. berlepschi from P. carolae has not yet been fully articulated in the literature. Here, we assess phenotypic differentiation and the taxonomic status of P. berlepschi relative to P. carolae based on specimens and recordings of wild birds.
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The species share many differentiated features, though the Carola’s parotia is more studied than the elusive bronze parotia. The species was first described by Otto Kleinschmidt in 1897. The conservation status of the western parotia, like the other species of birds-of-paradise is Least Concern. Previously known only from four specimens, the home of this little known bird-of-paradise was located in 1985 by the American scientist Jared Diamond at the Foja Mountains of Papua, Indonesia.
Natural peacock feathers, emerald green, 25 cm.
However, the males of this species will grow adult plumage at a younger age when kept in captivity. The males are polygamous and do not take part in raising the young. The female western parotia typically lays only one or two eggs in each breeding season. The bronze parotia is medium-sized bird, with black and bronze-tinged upperparts, conspicuous white flank plumes, iridescent coppery-greenish breast plumes, and six flag-tipped head wires. The duller female lacks the head wires, has finely dark-barred whitish underparts, brown upperparts, and rufous wings. The only way to tell the female parotia and male parotia is by their appearance.
Diamond encountered only the female of this species. The first photographs of them were taken during the rediscovery. The bronze parotia , also known as the Foja parotia, Berlepsch’s parotia or Berlepsch’s six-wired bird-of-paradise, is a species of bird-of-paradise, in the family Paradisaeidae. There are no specific names given to the male and female species of the Parotia carolae.
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The Bronze parotia , also known as the Foja parotia, Berlepsch’s parotia or Berlepsch’s six-wired bird-of-paradise, is a species of bird-of-paradise. Bruce received his master’s and Ph.D. studying behavioral ecology at Princeton. The male attends a terrestrial court where it shows a complex display courtship involving a dance. No information about nest, nest-site or clutch size.
- With few specimens and no known wild population, most taxonomic assessments over the last century have treated P. berlepschi as a subspecies of Parotia carolae Meyer, 1894.
- Description The bronze parotia also known as the Foja parotia, Berlepsch’s parotia or Berlepsch’s six-wired bird-of-paradise, is a bird-of-paradise.
- Many unknown Parotia specimens arose in Europe in the late 1800s and were owned by Berlepch.
- The exact population of the parotia is not known as of now but research suggests that these birds have a large range and are distributed to a major area of New Guinea.
- Its diet may consist of fruits, arthropods, and possibly other animal prey.
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Unlike Carola’s parotia, the specimens kept by Berlepsch had smaller bills with more of a prominent hooked tip, different plumage figures, and very slight size difference. The specimen was given its current scientific name to honor its owner in 1897. The individuals present in American collections, to my knowledge, represented ssp.
This means that male and female western parotias become sexually mature at different ages and at different points in time. The female western parotia of this species is thought to begin breeding as soon as it turns two to three years old. The males do not acquire mature plumage, meaning they do not start breeding until they reach the age of four.
The female is drastically different from the female, being light brown above with reddish wings, light brown tail, and a brown and white head. She is creamy below, covered by brown-blackish barring. Parotias are a genus, Parotia, of passerine birds in the bird-of-paradise family of Paradisaeidae. This western parotia or Carola’s parotia is endemic to New Guinea. These birds are known as plumed birds-of-paradise, exclusively due to their quills which are six in number on top of their heads. Males of the genus are characterized by a plumage that consists of six wired head plumes.
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