Habitat & Description:

It is endemic to the islands of Waigeo and Batanta in West Papua, Indonesia. It primarily inhabits lowland rainforests, forest edges, and secondary forests, usually at altitudes below 300 meters.

Description:

Males are vividly colored with a bright blue crown, red back, yellow mantle, green breast band, and unique purple and turquoise flank feathers. Females are less colorful, displaying mostly brownish plumage. This species is small, measuring about 13 cm in length.

Interesting information:

Males are famous for their striking plumage and elaborate courtship dances to attract females, while females are more subdued in color.

Despite their tiny size, they play an important role in seed dispersal, helping maintain rainforest health. Named after naturalist Edward Wilson, these birds are often called “living jewels of the forest

Feeding:

Their diet consists mainly of fruits, insects, and small invertebrates, which they forage for in the forest understory and mid-canopy layers.

Conservation Status & Threats:

Wilson's Bird-of-Paradise is classified as Near Threatened due to habitat loss from logging and deforestation, as well as pressures from the illegal pet trade.

Conservative Strategies:

Effective conservation strategies include protecting and restoring lowland rainforest habitats, enforcing wildlife protection laws, promoting ecotourism to benefit local communities, and raising public awareness about the species' ecological importance.

  Details   

Contact Us:

Samia Azad
Curator
Department of Zoology
GC University, Lahore
UAN: +92 (42) 111-000-010 Ext: 322
EMAIL: curator.zoology@gcu.edu.pk