Princess Stephanie's Astrapia
A species of Paradise magpies Scientific name : Astrapia stephaniae Genus : Paradise magpies
Princess Stephanie's Astrapia, A species of Paradise magpies
Botanical name: Astrapia stephaniae
Genus: Paradise magpies
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Nigel Voaden
Description
Stephanie's astrapia is a most distinctive bird-of-paradise, and extremely unmistakable to recognize. The males of this species reach around 84 cm (33 inches) in length, and a considerable portion of its length comes from the long, 47 cm (18 inches), glossy, black central tail feathers, which almost compete with the exaggerated, white tail feathers of the male Ribbon-tailed astrapias. The upper head of the male is an iridescent greenish-blue, shading to indigo blue in the back; the chin to the upper breast section is an iridescent aqua to greenish-blue, though the throat area is usually a dark, shaded tint depending on the angle of view. Below the iridescent upper breast section, dense, black feathers lie beneath it, and underneath the dense feathers lies a narrow, iridescent, coppery-red to orange-reddish band. The rest of the underparts are an iridescent, dull coppery-red to black (again, depending on the angle of view). The upperparts, namely the mantle (or back), are a dull light-green, but may appear brownish or black in some views. The upperwing is black, with a conspicuous purple gloss, the underwing is a lighter shade of black. The most distinctive feature, the extremely exaggerated central tail plumes, are wholly black with a purple gloss, and white rachides. The feet are grey-blackish, the bill is blackish, the mouth is pale green, and the eyes are dark brown. The female, as typical in the family Paradisaeidae, is drastically different from the male. She is mostly dark brown with a dark black-bluish head and upperbreast, black-barred, cinnamon-brown underparts, and a reasonably long, blackish tail.
Size
37 - 53 cm
Feeding Habits
Princess Stephanie's Astrapia predominantly consumes fruit, especially from Schefflera plants, complemented by animal prey such as frogs, insects, spiders, and skinks. Usually feeds alone but occasionally joins other bird species, including Paradisaeids.
Habitat
The habitat of princess Stephanie's Astrapia is primarily composed of middle montane, upper montane, and subalpine forests. These birds are typically found in areas with forest edge environments, selectively logged forests, and disturbed forests that have a mix of secondary growth.
Dite type
Frugivorous
General Info
Species Status
A common species throughout its range, Princess Stephanie's astrapia is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix II of CITES.
Photo By Nigel Voaden
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Perching birds Family
Birds-of-paradise Genus
Paradise magpies Species
Princess Stephanie's Astrapia