Male nominate race has scale-like crown feathers iridescent metallic green-blue with purple1 to magenta Sheens, rest of head velvety jet-black with dark coppery-green sheen, tuft of elongate erectile feathers above and behind each nostril, feathers at base of latter, those on lores and elongate forward-pointing chin feathers with purple to magenta iridescence; nape feathers grossly elongated and modified to form vast erectile nuchal "cape", its outer spatulate to fan-shaped feathers resulting in a symmetrical shape when raised, these velvety jet-black feathers and those of mantle with dull dark olive-green iridescence; back and rump black, uppertail-coverts as mantle; upperwing-coverts and tertials velvety matt black, flight-feathers blackish-brown, priamaries with narrow olive-brown leading edges;uppertail similar to remiges but velvety jet-black, losngest central pair of feathers with violet-purple iridescence; throat velvety black with dark olive-green sheen grading to purple iridescence, all with magenta washes, feathers scale-like and greatly elongated laterally, forming shallow, “winged” , delta-shaped shield of intensely iridescent mettalic greenish-blue with bluish-green to violet-purple sheens; underparts slightly glossy black, with trace of dark olive-green and purple sheens on belly; iris dark brown; bill black, mouth lemon-yellow to lime-green; legs blackish. Female is markedly smaller than male, particularly in wing length (almost no overlap between sexes); plumage radically different, head and nape blackish-brown with short line of tiny whitish spots as postocular stripe, similar submoustachial stripe immediatelly beneath gape, upperparts cryptically coloured brown and rufous, chin and throat whitish-grey, grading to pale buff on upper breast and to darker buff on flanks, things and undertail-coverts, all uniformly narrowly barred brownish-black; similar to females of same parotias and Ptiloris magnificus. Juvenile is like female, but plumage soft and fluffy, with darker crown, rear and side of neck barred ochraceous; immature male like adult female, but mean lengths of wing and tail longer; subadult male variable, like adult female with few feathersof adult male plumage intruding, initially outer primaries becoming black, to like adult male with few feathers of female-like plumage remaining; tail length of male increases slightly with age (varies with race). Race niedda like nominate in appearance and proportionate measurements, but female darker and more ochraceous on underparts; feminina has proportionately much longer wing in relation to tail thean do others, female similar to latipennis but broad superciliary stripes join narrowly across nape, latipennis is smaller then nominate in heaving head dark brown, broad whitish superciliary stripe, white streaking on forehead, crown and nape, upperparts variably olive-tinged brown, chin and throat whitish: minor has mean wing length shorter then all others, tail shorter than all except femininti. female blacker than preceding race, head and throat more blackish-brown, su« perciliary stripe reduced to small postocular streak, little or no pale nape marking, upperparts rich dark chestnut.
Not Threatened
Male nominate race has scale-like crown feathers iridescent metallic green-blue with purple1 to magenta Sheens, rest of head velvety jet-black with dark coppery-green sheen, tuft of elongate erectile feathers above and behind each nostril, feathers at base of latter, those on lores and elongate forward-pointing chin feathers with purple to magenta iridescence; nape feathers grossly elongated and modified to form vast erectile nuchal "cape", its outer spatulate to fan-shaped feathers resulting in a symmetrical shape when raised, these velvety jet-black feathers and those of mantle with dull dark olive-green iridescence; back and rump black, uppertail-coverts as mantle; upperwing-coverts and tertials velvety matt black, flight-feathers blackish-brown, priamaries with narrow olive-brown leading edges;uppertail similar to remiges but velvety jet-black, losngest central pair of feathers with violet-purple iridescence; throat velvety black with dark olive-green sheen grading to purple iridescence, all with magenta washes, feathers scale-like and greatly elongated laterally, forming shallow, “winged” , delta-shaped shield of intensely iridescent mettalic greenish-blue with bluish-green to violet-purple sheens; underparts slightly glossy black, with trace of dark olive-green and purple sheens on belly; iris dark brown; bill black, mouth lemon-yellow to lime-green; legs blackish. Female is markedly smaller than male, particularly in wing length (almost no overlap between sexes); plumage radically different, head and nape blackish-brown with short line of tiny whitish spots as postocular stripe, similar submoustachial stripe immediatelly beneath gape, upperparts cryptically coloured brown and rufous, chin and throat whitish-grey, grading to pale buff on upper breast and to darker buff on flanks, things and undertail-coverts, all uniformly narrowly barred brownish-black; similar to females of same parotias and Ptiloris magnificus. Juvenile is like female, but plumage soft and fluffy, with darker crown, rear and side of neck barred ochraceous; immature male like adult female, but mean lengths of wing and tail longer; subadult male variable, like adult female with few feathersof adult male plumage intruding, initially outer primaries becoming black, to like adult male with few feathers of female-like plumage remaining; tail length of male increases slightly with age (varies with race). Race niedda like nominate in appearance and proportionate measurements, but female darker and more ochraceous on underparts; feminina has proportionately much longer wing in relation to tail thean do others, female similar to latipennis but broad superciliary stripes join narrowly across nape, latipennis is smaller then nominate in heaving head dark brown, broad whitish superciliary stripe, white streaking on forehead, crown and nape, upperparts variably olive-tinged brown, chin and throat whitish: minor has mean wing length shorter then all others, tail shorter than all except femininti. female blacker than preceding race, head and throat more blackish-brown, su« perciliary stripe reduced to small postocular streak, little or no pale nape marking, upperparts rich dark chestnut.
Male 26 cm, 60—105 g; female 25 cm, 54-S5 g
Taxonomy: Paradisea Superba J. R. Forster, 1781, Arfak Mountains, New Guinea. Intergeneric hybridization with Paradigalla carunculata, Parotia sefilata, Parotia carolae, Ptiloris magnificus, Epimachus fastosus and Cicinnurus magnificus recorded. Proposed race connectens (Dawong, in Herzog Mts), treated as synonym of latipennis. Proposed race sphinx, described on basis of one immature male (like minor but considerably larger, with more reddish-brown on upperparts, eyestripe less extensive, forehead and neck lacking white flecks), is of unknown origin, but possibly from mountains of far SE New Guinea (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * superba ( J. R. Forster, 1781) - Vogelkop (Tamrau Mts and Arfak Mts), in NW New Guinea. * niedda Mayr, 1930 - Mt Wondiwoi (in Wandammen Peninsula), in NW New Guinea. * feminina Ogilvie-Grant, 1915 - C Cordillera from Weyland Mts E to C New Guinea (Hindenburg Mts and Victor Emanuel Mts). * latipennis Rothschild, 1907 - E & NE New Guinea in Central Highlands and Eastern Highlands (E to Herzog Mts, Kuper Range and Ekuti Range), also Adelbert Mts and mountains of Huon Peninsula. * minor E. P. Ramsay, 1885 - mountains of SE New Guinea (E probably from SE of Wau).
Middle to upper montane forests, disturbed forest, and forest patches among gardens and other cleared areas; 1000-2000m, mostly 1650-1900 m. Male territories centred on ridge crests, with preference for steeply sloping spurs or flanks of large ridges for song perches.
Fruits (mostly capsules) and variety of arthropods; proportions vary seasonally, from nearly all arthropods to almost entirely fruits. Typically forages at all levels, by hopping about small trees and tree limbs which are covered with moss and other epiphytic growth. Probes and tears into moss and other growth for arthropods; occasionally sallies for fruits. Usually solitary and slov.-moving, but joins mixed-species foraging flocks, including other birds-of-paradise, in fruiting trees.
Breeds in any month across range; nest-building recorded in Apr, egg.laying Jan, Mar, JunandNov, and female feeding fully developed begging juvenile Feb-MarinC New Guinea (Mt Bosavi); display observed during Aug-Jan. Polygynous, solitary promiscuous male advertisement-singing from traditional high exposed perch(es); female builds and attends nest alone. Males terri-toruil. within auditory contact of rivals, display on low perch, tree trunk or flat ground to high perch: territories of three males non-overlapping but abutting, average size 1,5 ha, average of 140 m between males (which were at all times in vocal or visual contact); territory of individually marked adult male on Mi Bosavi estimated at 150 m in diameter, but territory near Kompiam R considered significantly smaller. Courtship involves static display, and an animated dance with wing-flicking and leg-flexing, erection of nuchal cape, pectoral shield and forecrown feathers, and gaping; Initial Display activity followed by high-intensity phases. One nest was a loosely made rough cup, mostly of dark springy rootlets and fibres with a few large dead leaves and with small Polypodium-type fern fronds and strands of a Selaginela-like creeping plant incorporated, another a deep substantial cup of leaves with vine-like tendrils, quite possibly epiphylic orchid stems, and some living Pyrrosia fern stems with fronds on outside and rim; built at 1,5 m or higher in crown of palm or structurally palm-like plant. Clutch 1-2 eggs; in captivity, incubation period 18-19 days and nestling period once 18 days.