SICKLE-TAILS (CICINNURUS): MAGNIFICENT, WILSON'S AND KING’S BIRDS-OF-PARADISE

CICINNURUS

Wilson's bird-of-paradise

The genus Cicinnurus (Vieillot, 1816) consists of three sickletail birds-of-paradise: 1) King bird-of-paradise (Cicinnurus regius); 2) Magnificent bird-of-paradise (Cicinnurus magnificus) and Wilson's bird-of-paradise (Cicinnurus respublica). C. magnificus and C. respublica were formerly placed in the genus Diphyllodes Lesson, 1834. Cicinnurus means "curled tail”.

All three species of the Genus Cicinnurus are sexually dimorphic and have bright blue legs and feet. Members of this genus are found at elevations up to 5,000 in Papua New Guinea or Indonesia, primarily in West Papua (Irian Jaya) and nearby islands in Indonesia. Males are small, very brightly colored and have long, wirelike tail feathers. Females have the same general shape as males but don’t have display feathers. Males perform a display highlightng their bright colors in carefully maintained courts on the ground or tree branches. They range from lowlands to 5,000 feet in New Guinea plus one nearby island. [Source: Wikipedia, Cornell Ornithology Lab]

Diphyllodes was a genus of birds-of-paradise established by René-Primevère Lesson in 1834. It it contained two species — the magnificent bird-of-paradise and Wilson's bird-of-paradise. The genus has been subsumed into the genus Cicinnurus. " Diphyllodes means "Double leaf-like", referring to its "leaf-like" tail.

Magnificent Birds-of-Paradise

Magnificent birds-of-paradise (Cicinnurus magnificus or Diphyllodes magnificus) are fairly common birds-of-paradises that live in hill and lower montane forests, rarely lowland forests, mainly up to 1400 meters on mainland New Guinea and Yapen and Salawati Islands of Indonesia. Their primarily eat fruits, insects and spiders.

magnificent bird-of-paradise

Magnificent birds-of-paradise are widespread and fairly common throughout their large range and thus are classified as a species of Least Concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. In CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild) they are in Appendix II, which lists species not necessarily threatened with extinction now but that may become so unless trade is closely controlled.

Magnificent birds-of-paradise reach lengths of around 26 centimeters (ith extended tail feathers) and have very complex plumage. Males have seemingly incandescent yellow wings, an iridescent-green breast shield, blue feet, and an elegant yellow mantle on their neck. Males also have two long, curved, blue-green sickle-like tail feathers. Females are comparatively drab olive-brown birds with black-barred buffy underparts.

Three subspecies are recognised: 1) D. m. magnificus (Pennant, 1781) found in Salawati (Raja Ampat Islands, northwest of New Guinea) and south Bird's Head Peninsula (northwest New Guinea); 2) D. m. chrysopterus Elliot, DG, 1873 – Yapen (Geelvink Bay islands, northwest New Guinea) and west, central New Guinea; and 3) D. m. hunsteini Meyer, AB, 1886 – east, southeast New Guinea

Magnificent Birds-of-Paradise Courtship Displays

Magnificent bird-of-paradise males are polygamous and perform elaborate courtship displays alone in a terrestrial court, which he clears and defends from rivals. Display involves static and leaning postures, up and down movements, and complex routine of movements of nape cape, pectoral shield, central tail feathers and mouth.

Males commonly tend their court and makes sure it is clean and clear of fallen debris. The courtship typically takes place on a sapling standing up from the ground. When a female lands in a male’s court, he is usually on his display perch, where he does his display. During the display he leans backwards to the point where his body is perpendicular to the sapling, raises his mantle cape, to where it appears like a yellow halo behind his head, expands and flexes his iridescent breast shield, and waggles his sickle-shaped tail on each side. Often times many females nearby observe the display. When the male is about to copulate with the core female ro which the display was performed, other females nearby leap from their perches and attack and try to shoo off the core female. The male is often left empty hand and may have to wait a while to perform again.

Displays have been observed from July to February. Females usually lay two creamy yellow eggs. Nests are built and attended to only by females. The incubation period is 18-19 days and the nestling period 17-18 days. Magnificent bird-of-paradise are known to hybridize with King and Lesser Birds of Paradise.

Wilson's Bird-of-Paradise

Wilson's birds-of-paradise (Cicinnurus respublica or Diphyllodes respublica) are endemic to Indonesia and live in hill and lowland rainforests up to 300 meters on Waigeo and Batanta Islands off West Papua. They eat fruits, insects, other arthropods and other small invertebrates such as lizards. Wilson's birds-of-paradise are classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and placed in CITES Appendix II. They are threatened by ongoing habitat loss, limited range and exploitation. [Source: Wikipedia]

The first footage of the Wilson's bird-of-paradise ever filmed was recorded in 1996 by David Attenborough for the BBC documentary Attenborough in Paradise. Attenborough got a male to appear by dropping leaves on the forest floor, which irritated the bird into clearing them away.

The controversial scientific name respublica was given to the species in 1850 by Charles Lucien Bonaparte, Napoleon's nephew and a republican idealist. Bonaparte described the bird from a badly damaged trade specimen purchased by British ornithologist Edward Wilson. By doing this he beat John Cassin, who wanted to name the bird in honour of Wilson, by several months. Thirteen years later, in 1863, the German zoologist Heinrich Agathon Bernstein discovered the home grounds of the Wilson's bird-of-paradise in Waigeo Island.

Wilson's Bird-of-Paradise Colors and Characteristics

Wilson's bird-of-paradise are relatively small. Larger males can reach a length of 16 centimeters (6.3 inches), 21 centimeters including central rectrices) and weigh of 53 to 67 grams. Females can reach a length of 16 centimeters, but weigh 52 to 60 grams. Males are red and black with a yellow mantle on their neck, a light green mouth, deep blue feet and two curved violet tail feathers. The head is naked blue, with a black double cross pattern on it. Females are a brownish in color with bare blue crown.

Male Wilson’s Birds-of-paradise are the most colorful of all bird-of-paradise species, possessing all of the primary colors and more, often with bright hues and iridescence. The baby blue hue on the head is the color of the skin, not feathers, and is the result of structural color absent in any other member of birds-of-paradise. Yellow on the nape of its neck, followed by the crimson on its back are consistent, pigmented colors, present year-round.

The unique handlebar-mustache-shaped” tail feathers are brilliantly iridescent, reflecting light to produce intense color to those who see it. In the wild, the blue bare skin on the crown of the bird's head is so vivid that it is clearly visible at night. The deep scarlet back and green breast are also vividly colored. The curlicue tail is glistening bright silver.

Wilson's Bird-of-Paradise Courtship Behavior

Before mating, male Wilson’s birds-of-paradise clear an area of rainforest to create a 'display court'. Then they perform an elaborate mating dance to impress potential mates. Male usually exhibits their breast shield to the accompaniment of a mating dance with song and calls. Females select males based upon indirect genetic benefits which increase offspring fitness. Because this species is polygynous, where one male mates with multiple females. After mating female incubate and nest the eggs by themselves.

Wilson’s birds-of-paradise are difficult to locate in the wild. Their mating rituals have only been witnessed and films a handful of times. During the breeding season males territorially defend their “court” where the displays are performed. Males tirelessly work to keep this area free of debris, making sure that nothing on the ground gets in the way of their displays.

The display begins when males perch on a vertical branch in the middle of their court, flexing their brilliant green fluorescent collar and calling out to females to attract them to their court. Females who are interested perch above the male on the branch and watch as he weaves back and forth, calling to her and flexing the fluorescent collar. As was recently discovered when researchers filmed the dance from the female’s perspective, when the male displays, he is basically a brilliant green disc, and the inside of his mouth is fluorescent, making him a bold projection of brilliant color.

King Bird-of-Paradise

King birds-of-paradise (Cicinnurus regius) are the smallest and one of the most vividly colored birds-of-paradise. Regarded as "living gem", they are approximately 16 centimeters long. Males are crimson and white with bright blue feet and green-tipped fan-like plumes on their shoulders. Their two elongated tail wires are decorated with emerald green disk feathers at their tips. The unadorned female is a brown bird with barring below. The first captive breeding of these birds was accomplished by Dr. Sten Bergman of Sweden in 1958.

King birds-of-paradise are distributed throughout lowland forests of mainland New Guinea and the nearby Aru, Misool, Salawati and Yapen Islands. The diet consists mainly of fruits and arthropods. Widespread and common throughout their large range, king birds-of-paradise are classified as a species of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and places in CITES Appendix II. Two subspecies are recognised: 1) C. r. regius, found in south New Guinea and the west Papuan islands and Aru Islands (southwest of New Guinea); and 2) C. r. coccineifrons Rothschild, found in north, central, and east New Guinea, and Yapen Island (off northwest New Guinea)

Adult male king bird-of-paradise measure 16 to 19 centimeters (6.3–7.5 inches) and 31 centimeters (12.2 inches) if central rectrices are included. Females weigh about 36–59 grams (0.08–0.13 pounds) and males weigh 45–64 grams (0.10–0.14 pound). Breeding occurs at least during March through October. The open cup nest is built into a tree cavity (unique within the family), within which two eggs are laid. The female builds the nest and cares for the young without male help. In captivity, incubation lasts 17 days and the nestling period is 14 days.

King birds-of-paradise are polygynous, The extraordinary courtship display of the male features a series of tail swinging, fluffing of the white abdominal feathers that makes the bird look like a cottonball, and acrobatic movements of their elongated tail wires. The male display in isolation at exploded leks and in groups at traditional arboreal courts. They are perhaps more persistent callers than any other birds of paradise. Courtship involves complex vocalizations, feather manipulations, and a variety of body posturing and movements, including hanging fully inverted and pendulum-like swinging.

In an "exploded lek" males spread out over a large area to perform their displays to attract females. They are separated from each other by significant distances but still within earshot of each other. In traditional leks males are closely grouped together in a visible display area. The term "explode" is used because they are scattered over a large area. Females flit about checking out the different displays, shopping around for a suitable mate.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org ; National Geographic, Live Science, Natural History magazine, David Attenborough books, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Discover magazine, The New Yorker, Time, BBC, CNN, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Wikipedia, The Guardian, Top Secret Animal Attack Files website and various books and other publications.

Last updated February 2025