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Wilson's Bird-of-paradise — printable fact sheet
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Wilson's Bird-of-paradise
Cicinnurus respublica
Wilson's bird-of-paradise (Cicinnurus respublica) is found only on the small Indonesian islands of Waigeo and Batanta in Raja Ampat, and it is one of the most extravagantly engineered animals alive. The male's crown is not feathered at all: it is bare, brilliant turquoise skin, …
Did you know?
- The species was named in honor of the British ornithologist Edward Wilson, who collected the first specimen in the 19th century.
- The male's blue crown is bare skin, not feathers, and it is reported to be visible in the dark. He clears his display court of every leaf and even strips leaves from the canopy above to improve the lighting. The female watches from a perch directly above him, and his display only resolves into its intended shape when seen from that angle. Its scientific name, respublica, was chosen as a deliberate republican insult to European royalty by a naturalist who was also Napoleon's nephew.
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