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  Profile

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  In flight

Birds of Paradise

Lesser Bird-of-paradise

Paradisaea minor

• rare
• 40 km/h
• Least Concern

Males gather at communal lek trees in Papua New Guinea, competing in synchronized flank-plume displays for hours daily.

Population

Global population size unquantified; described as common and widespread across its large range (~547,000 km² EOO), but population trend is decreasing due to habitat loss and hunting pressure

Habitat

Subtropical/tropical moist lowland and hill forest (medium forest dependency); also uses degraded former forest and arable land

Fun fact

Male Lesser Birds-of-paradise gather in leks to perform elaborate polygamous courtship displays, fanning ornamental yellow-to-white flank plumes over their backs to attract females; birds-of-paradise are also suspected to carry skin toxins derived from their insect prey.

Range

Northern New Guinea (Indonesia and Papua New Guinea) and adjacent islands including Misool and Yapen

Diet

Primarily fruit and arthropods (insects)

Size

0.32 m

Lifespan

15 years