MALAYSIA: Bird of Paradise

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This month Flora and Fauna segment will bring you among the beautiful birds in the world, The Bird of Paradise. It is the name of the groups of birds belongs to the Paradisaeidae family. The species is found in eastern Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Torres Straits Islands and eastern Australia. The members of this family are perhaps best known for the plumage of the males of most species, in particular highly elongated and elaborate feathers extending from the beak, wings or head.

In Malay, it is called as Cenderawasih.

BIOLOGY

The species live in tropical forests, including rainforest, swamps and moss forest. In most species, the diet consists predominantly of fruit, although riflebirds and sicklebills also favour insects and other arthropods.

Birds of paradise build their nests from soft materials, such as leaves, ferns, and vine tendrils, typically placed in a tree fork. Clutch size is somewhat uncertain. In the large species, it is almost always just one egg. Smaller species may produce clutches of 2-3. Eggs hatch after 16–22 days, and the young leave the nest at between 16 and 30 days of age.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Today the birds enjoy legal protection and hunting is only permitted at a sustainable level to fulfill the ceremonial needs of the local tribal population. Hunting for plumes and habitat destruction have reduced some species to endangered status; habitat destruction due to deforestation is now the predominant threat.

GALERIA

The types of Bird of Paradise, the VU symbol is currently near endangered species:-

Lesser Bird of Paradise (LC)