The birds-of-paradise are members of the family Paradisaeidae
of the order Passeriformes. The majority of species in this family are found on
the island of New Guinea and its satellites, with a few species occurring in
the Moluccas and eastern Australia. The family has forty-one species in 14
genera. The members of this family are perhaps best known for the plumage of
the males of the sexually dimorphic species, in particular the highly elongated
and elaborate feathers extending from the beak, wings, tail or head.
For the most part they are confined to dense rainforest
habitat. The diet of all species is dominated by fruit and to lesser extent
arthropods. The birds-of-paradise have a variety of breeding systems, ranging
from monogamy to lek based polygamy. The family is of cultural importance to
the inhabitants of New Guinea. The trade in skins and feathers of the
birds-of-paradise has been going on for two thousand years. The birds have also
been of considerable interest to Western collectors, ornithologists and
writers. A number of species are threatened by hunting and habitat loss.
No comments:
Post a Comment