Magnificent Riflebird
Encyclopedia
The Magnificent Riflebird, Ptiloris magnificus, is a medium-sized (up to 34 cm long) passerine
bird of the Paradisaeidae family. The male is velvet-black bird of paradise with elongated black filamental flank plumes, an iridescent blue-green crown, a wide, triangle-shaped breast shield, and on central tail feathers. It has a black curved bill
, yellow mouth, blackish feet and a dark brown iris
. The female is brownish with dark spots and buff bars below.
The Magnificent Riflebird is widely distributed throughout lowland rainforests of New Guinea
and far Northeastern Australia
. The diet consists mainly of fruits and arthropods.
Males are polygamous and perform solitary courtship displays on a 'dancing perch'. During these displays, the male fully extends his wings and raises his tail; he hops upward while swinging his head from side to side, showing off his metallic blue-green breast shield. Multiple females will observe these displays, and, if satisfied with the performance, reward the male with copulations. Females subsequently build nests, incubate, brood, and feed young without male assistance.
A widespread and relatively common species throughout its range, the Magnificent Riflebird is evaluated as a species of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List
of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix II of CITES.
This species used to be placed in its own genus, Craspedophora Gray
, 1840, which is now a subgenus of Ptiloris
.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird of the Paradisaeidae family. The male is velvet-black bird of paradise with elongated black filamental flank plumes, an iridescent blue-green crown, a wide, triangle-shaped breast shield, and on central tail feathers. It has a black curved bill
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
, yellow mouth, blackish feet and a dark brown iris
Iris (anatomy)
The iris is a thin, circular structure in the eye, responsible for controlling the diameter and size of the pupils and thus the amount of light reaching the retina. "Eye color" is the color of the iris, which can be green, blue, or brown. In some cases it can be hazel , grey, violet, or even pink...
. The female is brownish with dark spots and buff bars below.
The Magnificent Riflebird is widely distributed throughout lowland rainforests of New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
and far Northeastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The diet consists mainly of fruits and arthropods.
Males are polygamous and perform solitary courtship displays on a 'dancing perch'. During these displays, the male fully extends his wings and raises his tail; he hops upward while swinging his head from side to side, showing off his metallic blue-green breast shield. Multiple females will observe these displays, and, if satisfied with the performance, reward the male with copulations. Females subsequently build nests, incubate, brood, and feed young without male assistance.
A widespread and relatively common species throughout its range, the Magnificent Riflebird is evaluated as a species of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix II of CITES.
This species used to be placed in its own genus, Craspedophora Gray
George Robert Gray
George Robert Gray FRS was an English zoologist and author, and head of the ornithological section of the British Museum, now the Natural History Museum, in London for forty-one years...
, 1840, which is now a subgenus of Ptiloris
Ptiloris
The genus Ptiloris consist of four riflebirds species of the Paradisaeidae family.It is distributed in the rainforests of New Guinea and Australia. Members of this genus are sexually dimorphic...
.