Lawe's parotia

Lawes's Parotia
Scientific classification
Kingdom Information
Domain	Eukaryota
Kingdom	Animalia
Subkingdom	Bilateria
Branch	Deuterostomia
Phylum Information
Phylum	Chordata
Sub-phylum	Vertebrata
Infraphylum	Gnathostomata
Class Information
Superclass	Tetrapoda
Class	Aves
Sub-class	Neornithes
Infra-class	Neoaves
Order Information
Superorder	Passerimorphae
Order	Passeriformes
Sub-order	Passeri
Family Information
Superfamily	Passeroidea
Family	Paradisaeidae
Tribe Information
Tribe	Paradisaeini
Genus Information
Genus	Parotia
Species Information
Species	P. lawesii
Population statistics
Population	Unknown (2016 est.)
Conservation status	Least concern

Lawes's parotia (Parotia lawesii) is a species of passerine bird of the family Paradisaeidae, and found in the forested upper elevations of Papua New Guinea.

Description

Like other birds of paradise, there is a marked difference between the sexes. Males are 10.6 inches long, and weigh 5.39 to 6.87 ounces, while females are slightly smaller, about 9.8 inches long, and weigh 4.3 to 6.3 ounces.

Males are predominately black in color, which has been described as being "velvety", and bearing metallic and purple reflections particularly evident on the head and back. The forehead is greyish-white, the nape is iridescent blue, while the upper chest bears bronze iridescences, allowing it to change color depending on the sunlight, from bronze to blue-green. It also has six long wire feathers just behind the ear, three on either side, and ending in a spatula shape. Females are brown overall, lighter on the chest and belly with darker brown feather tips, giving the belly a scalloped appearance.

They are solitary and diurnal, spending most of their time in search of food in the forest. They are very shy birds, ready to hide in the thick of vegetation at the slightest sign of disturbance, so much so that it is difficult to spot them despite the bright colors, while it is not infrequent to guess their presence from the harsh croaking call that they usually emit.

Subspecies

• Parotia lawesii helenae; southeast New Guinea
• Parotia lawesii lawesii; east-central New Guinea (highlands)

Some authorities have given P. l. helenae full species status, as the Eastern parotia.

Range and habitat

This species is endemic to New Guinea in the area of the Bismarck mountains, where it occupies primary and secondary montane rainforests at medium altitudes, including mixed oak forests that have not yet been affected by logging, forests with logging and secondary forests. It also occurs in forest remains that have remained between the extensively cultivated gardens of the indigenous population of this region. It is more common in the interior of the forest than on the edges of the forest, and lives at an altitude between 1,500 and 6,900 feet.

Diet

Lawes's parotia mainly eats fruit and small amounts of arthropods. On the basis of fecal analyzes it has been concluded that around 95 percent of its nutritional needs are covered with fruits and figs. Arthropods are found mainly in the epiphyte growth on trees. Once believed to have also eaten larger shell snails, recent observations have proven that the birds collect empty shells instead, to display in their communal courtship areas.

Reproduction

Mating season falls between June and January. During this period, males construct and perform in a lek, an arena which has been carefully cleaned of a portion of the forest floor: it has been noted that some objects, such as expended snake skins and bits of coal, are not completely removed by males, but only arranged at the edges of the arena and taken by other males. During the performance in the lek, the male shows off a complex series of movements, including the ruffling of the long feathers of the chest and movements of the head designed to highlight the iridescence of the chest and nape, for the purpose to attract and impress as many females as possible, with whom to later mate.

After mating, the active role of the male in the lek event ends; it is the female who constructs the nest, a cup built with twigs, moss and plant material at the bifurcation of a tree between 15 and 37 feet in height. The female is also the incubator of the egg (rarely are two eggs laid), and takes care of the chicks until they are fledged.