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Species
Astrapia rothschildi Förster, 1906
Nomenclature
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Family: ParadisaeidaeGenus: Astrapia
Media
SUMMARY
Large astrapia with exceptionally long, broad tail markedly graduated, Male has entirely black head and nape with green-blue iridescence, notably on fine scale-like crown feathers; iridescent dark green hindneck and mantle feathers are plate-like, forming distinctive cowl, exposed bases broadly tipped iridescent magenta, more coppery red against nape; blackish back with olive-green sheen, blackish rump; black upperwing with blue-purple sheen; uppertai! velvety black with bluish-purple to pinkish-purple sheens; breast like head, bordered below by strongly iridescent distinct fine coppery-orange gorget; silk-like feathers of lower breast and belly oily dark green, some larger plate-like feathers down breast side strongly iridescent and paler, lime-green; matt brownish-black thighs, vent and undertail-coverts; iris dark brown; bill shiny black; legs fleshy lead-grey. Female is much smaller than male, with wing and tail significantly shorter; plumage radically different, with slightest of dull blue iridescent sheen on head and upper breast, otherwise entirely sooty black except for fine. Inconspicuous pale barring on abdomen and undertail-coverts. Juvenile undescribed; immature like adult female but slightly larger, lacking pale nape barring, with abdomen barring much reduced, blue iridescence on head increasing and abdomen barring decreasing with age; subadult male varies, like adult female with few feathers of adult male plumage intruding to like adult male but with few feathers of female-like plumage remaining, with age head becomes increasingly iridescent and barring on underparls becomes obscured by increasing blackish plumage; all rectrices grow progressively longer with increasing male age.