Raggiana Bird-of-paradise

The Raggiana Bird-of-paradise, also known as Count Raggi's Bird-of-paradise, is a large bird in the bird-of-paradise family Paradisaeidae.

The Raggiana Bird-of-paradise (Paradisaea raggiana) is a remarkably beautiful bird that lives primarily in southern and northeastern New Guinea. While there are many different species in the same family as the Raggiana bird of paradise, Paradisaea raggiana is only found in these parts of New Guinea. In New Guinea, this bird is referred to as "kumul," and is the national bird of this country. Images of this bird of paradise are often found on money, stamps and it is also a representative of country's national rugby team. These birds belong to a larger family of birds classified as Paradisaeidae, and the males are well-known for their brightly colored feathers and plumage.

Paradisaea raggiana are typically around 34 cm (13 inches) in length, with some variation. These birds also tend to weigh between seven to twelve ounces, or about 3/4 of a pound or less. Males are very colorful, with wide variation in the colors of feathers, breasts, skin, and tail feathers. Males also tend to have a green area around the chin, with yellow coloring the head and neck. Females, in contrast, have less vibrant plumage and tail feathers. They tend to be mostly brown in color, which helps them avoid predators while raising their young.

Most often, these birds engage in polygamous mating relationships, although some birds do have one primary mate throughout their lives. Males gather in groups and display their colorful feathers in order to attract a female. Females usually lay two eggs at a time, with the incubation period lasting from 18 to 20 days. Nurturing and raising of the young is the responsibility of the mother.

The Paradisaea raggiana typically eat fruits and berries, although they are also known to eat small animals, such as frogs and lizards, as well as leaves. Unlike many birds, these birds of paradise do not migrate throughout the year. Rather, they find their home and stay in that same area throughout the year.

Although these birds have few natural predators, they are facing rapid deforestation in many areas of New Guinea. This destruction of their habitat has left many of these birds of paradise with no place to nest or live. Also, the birds were hunted by Europeans for many years after local peoples had told them that the birds were from the gods. However, today they are not an endangered species. In fact, they are actually quite numerous, and are considered to be of least concern of endangerment.

PIcture of the Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise by markaharper1, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

The Raggiana Bird-of-paradise is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.