Manucodia ater Lesson, 1830

Large paradisaeid with long, graduated tail; base of culmen ridge broadened and flattened to a degree intermediate between those of M, jobiensis and M. chalybatus. Male nominate race has head and neck blue-black with iridescent blue-green tipping on smooth feathering, also plum-purple sheen in some lights: dense feathers above each eye (not elongated or erectile}; Smooth-plumaged blue-black mantle, back, rump, upperwing and uppertail with iridescent glosses of blue and of purple to magenta, tail "~' may show' subtle blackish barring, rectrices have tiny hair-like central points; iridescent tipping on each feather of chin and throat forms inverted V-shape; breast as upperparts but more blue-green iridescence increasing on belly, vent and undertail-coverts; iris blood-red with brown inner ring; bill dark grey to black, legs black. Female is on average smaller than male, also with glosses greener, less purple, particularly on underparts. Juvenile is downy and dull brownish-black, this subsequently broken up by glossy feathers of immature plumage (initially more so on upperparts); immature duller than adult, tail on average slightly shorter, iris orange-yellow to yellowish-orange (and probably changing with age), difficult to differentiate from immature M. chalybatus. Race subalter is larger than nominate, male differs also in having more purple and violet colours (oil-green colour rare); alter is considerably larger than other two races, bill length of adult male exclusively so, and male flanks and belly more violet than nominate.