Red Bird-of-paradise

Fascinating facts about the Red Bird-of-paradise

• A male can reach 72 cm when you count its spectacular crimson plumes, yet it only looks that long after at least six years of growth, nature’s slow-motion runway show.
• At just 33 cm body length, the bird packs a vivid mix of brown, yellow and emerald-green facial skin, proving size isn’t the only route to visual impact.
• Only two islands, Waigeo and Batanta in Indonesia’s Raja Ampat, host this species.
• The bird’s face appears on the 1992 20,000 Rupiah Indonesian banknote, turning a forest dweller into a national symbol and sparking interest far beyond its remote rainforests.

At a glance

About the Red Bird-of-paradise

The red bird-of-paradise (Paradisaea rubra) is a striking exemplar of the Paradisaeidae, measuring up to 33 cm in its basic form but, in the male, extending to a spectacular 72 cm when the flamboyant crimson train is unfurled. Its plumage blends earthy browns and yellows, yet the male’s face glows emerald green, framed by dark-green feather pom-poms above each eye. Two elongated, black corkscrew tail wires swing like pendants, while a cascade of glossy crimson plumes with whitish tips sweeps the breast, a display that takes at least six years to reach full brilliance. Females are more modest, lacking the red train and bearing a darker brown face, yet share the species’ sturdy grey legs and yellow bill. In the lowland rainforests of Waigeo and Batanta islands in Raja Ampat, West Papua, these birds move through the understory in search of fruit, berries, and arthropods.

Seen on screen

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