|
Astrapia
''Astrapia'' (Vieillot, 1816) is a genus of Bird-of-paradise, birds-of-paradise. The genus contains five species, all endemic to New Guinea. The males have highly iridescent plumage and remarkably long tails. Females are duller and have shorter tails. Barnes's astrapia is a hybrid produced by the interbreeding of Princess Stephanie's astrapia and the ribbon-tailed astrapia. Taxonomy The genus ''Astrapia'' was introduced in 1816 by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot to accommodate the Arfak astrapia, which therefore becomes the type species. The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek ''astrapios'' or ''astrapaios'' meaning "of lightning". The genus is suggested to be monophyletic, roughly six million years old, and forms a sister-group with the two species in the genus ''Paradigalla''. ''Astrapia'' and ''Paradigalla'' are members of a larger clade that includes the other long-tail birds-of-paradise from the genus ''Epimachus''. Species The genus contains five spe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Splendid Astrapia
The splendid astrapia (''Astrapia splendidissima'') is a species of ''Astrapia'' of the birds-of-paradise family, Bird-of-paradise, Paradisaeidae. It lives mainly in the mountain forests of Papua New Guinea. Male birds are known for their bright feathers and unique courtship displays, such as hopping between branches, flicking their tails, and making frog-like calls to attract females. They may also have lek mating behavior, where males gather and display together. This species mainly eats fruit, but also feeds on insects, lizards and frogs. While males live alone, females raise the young and sometimes form small groups when searching for food. The population is stable, but it could be affected by forest loss. It has two recognised subspecies. The splendid astrapia may hybridize with other astrapias. Etymology The generic name, ''Astrapia'', is derived from ''"Astraipios"'', and means lightning flash or glare. This refers to the brilliant iridescent plumage of species in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |