Chien C. Lee

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  • The incredible vibrance of many Birds-of-paradise is in part due to the deep black feathers which make their more colorful plumage simply ‘pop’. A recent study looking closely at these black feathers found that they had a unique nanostructure that is super-efficient in light absorption. This results in one of the darkest blacks found in nature, rivaling those of highly specialized synthetic materials. Here, a Vogelkop Superb Bird-of-paradise (Lophorina niedda) waits at his display (a fallen log) for the arrival of a female. West Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
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  • Transforming into an extravagant bouquet of colors and shapes, a male Magnificent Bird-of-paradise (Diphyllodes magnificus) puts on his best show in the hopes of impressing a female visitor to his courting ground. She has a critical eye for imperfections as she will be selecting him based on the merits of his display alone – a testament to his overall fitness and desirable genes. This selective pressure is the driving force behind the evolution of some of the most incredible avian spectacles in the world.
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  • Wilson's Bird-of-paradise (Diphyllodes respublica), male courting female at his display ground. West Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea)
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  • Magnificent Bird-of-paradise (Diphyllodes magnificus), male calling from his display ground, showing the bright yellow inside of his mouth. West Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
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  • With his otherworldly plumage a male Wilson's Bird-of-paradise (Cicinnurus respublica) shows off his gaudy colors at a dancing ground he has cleared on the forest floor. Endemic to only two islands off the western coast of New Guinea, Wilson's BoP is surely one of the most bizarre in a family of birds already renowned for their exotic appearances.
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  • It’s impossible for a single image to capture all of the multifaceted ornamentation of a male Magnificent Bird-of-paradise (Cicinnurus magnificus). Depending on the viewpoint and which of his assets he chooses to flaunt, his display can range from a brilliant metallic green breast plate to a golden yellow nape fan. The remarkable curled tail wires, which often appear black in color, flash an incredible turquoise when the angle is just right – a tool he often uses to bedazzle female visitors to his courting ground. Arfak Mountains, West Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
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  • The Magnificent Bird of Paradise (Cicinnurus magnificus) is restricted to New Guinea, where it occurs throughout the island in suitable hill forest. Male birds clear a personal display site near the forest floor where they put on an impressive display of their vibrant plumage for visiting females. West Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
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  • The Magnificent Bird of Paradise (Cicinnurus magnificus) is restricted to New Guinea, where it occurs throughout the island in suitable hill forest. Male birds clear a personal display site near the forest floor where they put on an impressive display of their vibrant plumage for visiting females. West Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
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  • Like some kind of karmic balance, it has often been remarked that the more plain-looking a bird is, the more beautiful its song, whereas those bestowed with gorgeous plumage tend to have simple calls. Research across hundreds of bird species has revealed a negative correlation between these traits, suggesting that there may be a trade-off in visual vs. acoustic signals when it comes to attracting mates. Likely falling at one end of this spectrum, Birds-of-paradise certainly are among the most extravagantly ornamented species in the world, but their highly varied calls often consist of harsh squawks and penetrating whistles, which although extremely loud are anything but melodious. Here, a male Wilson’s BoP (Cicinnurus respublica) raucously advertises his presence above his display ground, though if a female approaches he will fall silent and rely on his feathers for the real game of courtship. Waigeo Island, West Papua, Indonesia.
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  • Only the male Wallace's Standardwing (Semioptera wallacii) possesses the highly ornamental plumage, females being plain brown in coloration. This species is endemic to Halmahera and a few offshore islands and is one of the westernmost birds of paradise (family Paradisaeidae). Halmahera, North Maluku, Indonesia.
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  • With tail feathers nearly a meter long, a male Black Sicklebill (Epimachus fastosus) struts his incredible plumage on a display perch high in the Arfak Mountains of West Papua. One of the largest of all the birds-of-paradise, this shy sicklebill is found only in remote cloud forests on the island of New Guinea. Although normally keeping to the tree tops, the male carefully selects an exposed perch lower in the canopy from where he will call and display for females at dawn.
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  • Only the male Wallace's Standardwing (Semioptera wallacii) possesses the highly ornamental plumage, females being plain brown in coloration. This species is endemic to Halmahera and a few offshore islands and is one of the westernmost birds of paradise (family Paradisaeidae). Halmahera, Indonesia.
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  • Magnificent Riflebird (Lophorina magnifica), male calling from display perch. Heard far more often than seen, these uncommon and extremely shy birds are responsible for the most quintessential sound of the Papuan rainforest. Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
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  • Pristine coral reefs bordering white sand beaches and magical rainforest – it’s hard to get better than the remote Kwatisore Peninsula. Located deep within Cenderwasih Bay National Park, this oasis is connected to mainland New Guinea by only a thin ribbon of land. The rainforests here hold an abundance of birds (including several species of bird-of-paradise), but it is the incredible marine life that provides the star attraction. This is one of the best places to swim with world’s largest fish: the Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus).
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