When I began this article it was titled differently.  I choose this new name because in doing research for the article in the form of finding photographs for the individual sub-species of Paradisaea I had little success in finding photographs of living specimens.  The majority of photographs I found were either ones of taxidermy specimens or ornithological illustrations.

photo from Wikimedia Commons

Red Bird-of-Paradise

Paradisaea rubra

The Red Bird of Paradise is classified as near threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threated Species.

The courtship dance of this bird is truly spectacular, as they spread their wings and shake them. It is one of the reasons why these birds are so admired. Unfortunately for them, and the other birds on this site, the loss of habitat is reducing their numbers to the point that we need to be aware of them before it is too late.

A fairly decent sized bird they are about a foot in length with a much longer tail that takes about six years to grow, and will be about two feet in length.

 photo from Wikimedia Commons

Lesser Bird-of-Paradise

Paradisaea minor

The Lesser Bird of Paradise is classified as least concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Like all the birds on this page, they evolved in New Guinea, a land free of mammals as predators. The females will be doing the raising of the young, so the male must court her in ways other than by showing her what a good provider he would be. As such they evolved an very gaudy appearance and use it to show off to the females.

photo from Wikimedia Commons, the bottom right bird is a different species

Greater Bird-of-Paradise

Paradisaea apoda

The Greater Bird of Paradise is classified as as least concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

This bird is the largest within the species, being almost a foot and a half long with a much longer tail. Their scientific name “apoda” means “legless” a reference to the fact that when the specimens were first brought to Europe (dead of course) they had been preserved without feet or legs, as such they were said to have floated in from Paradise, never touching the ground until death.

photo from Wikimedia Commons

Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise

Paradisaea raggiana

The Raggiana Bird of Paradise is classified as least concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Like the other Birds of Paradise, their diet consists of mostly fruits and small insects and arthropods. They are slightly longer than a foot, again with the much longer tail that grows to full length at around five or six years of age. The Marquis Francis Raggie of Genoa may have been all but lost to history had this species not been named in honor of him.

photo from Wikimedia Commons

Goldie’s Bird-of-Paradise

Paradisaea decora

The Goldies Bird of Paradise is classified as near threated on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

These lovely birds are approaching threatened status as the result of habitat loss. They are roughly a foot long, plus their tail, and like the other birds, the males are polygamous, putting on a grand display to lure a mate then leaving her to raise the young, they usually have about two eggs per breeding.

photo from Wikimedia Commons

Emperor Bird-of-Paradise

Paradisaea guilielmi

The Emperor Bird of Paradise is considered as near threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

The name “guilielmi” refers to Wilhelm II of Germany, who had the dubious honor of being the last Emperor of Germany. Thus the name Emperor. This was the last Bird of Paradise to be discovered. That discovery was made by Carl Hunstein who also discovered our next subject the Blue Bird of Paradise.

photo from Wikimedia Commons

Blue Bird-of-Paradise

Paradisaea rudolphi

The Blue Bird-of-paradise is classified as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Not to be confused with the mythical Blue Bird of Paradise, Paradisaea rudolphi or Blue Bird of Paradise, was named in honor of Prince Rudolph of Austria, who’s tragic suicide remains a matter of debate to this day.

The Blue Bird of Paradise and our previous subject the Emperor Bird of Paradise are the only two Bird of Paradise species in which the male’s mating display is inverted, meaning he hangs upside down then courting.

This species is not only regard as the most beautiful of Paradisaea, some also regard it as the most beautiful bird of any kind in the world.

As I have shown many species are doing fine according to the IUCN Red List. A few are threatened. How long will it be before all Bird of Paradise species are threatened? Fairly soon if habitats continue to be destroyed, and clear cut, to make room for agriculture, and if rational selective breeding programs are not put in place. Just maybe fair trade products made with harvested feathers makes more sense than having aboriginal peoples cut clear cut forests to grow soy or some other GMO nonsense. We need to realize that the main threat to the forest is not local tribes traditional habits, but realize that the threat is exportation of irrational and invasive first world western agricultural practices to third world countries. This does far more harm than some Tribesman selling a feather hat to a tourist. Keep in mind that last statement comes from a bird lover. Something to think about?