Magnificent riflebird

The magnificent riflebird (Ptiloris magnificus) is a species of passerine bird of the family Paradisaeidae.

Magnificent riflebird
Male Magnificent riflebird perched.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Paradisaeidae
Genus: Ptiloris
Species:
P. magnificus
Binomial name
Ptiloris magnificus
Vieillot, 1819
Synonyms

Craspedophora magnificus

Magnificent Riflebirds are widely distributed throughout lowland rainforests of western New Guinea and the northern Cape York Peninsula.

A widespread and relatively common species throughout its range, the magnificent riflebird is evaluated as a species of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix II of CITES.

Taxonomy and systematics

This species used to be placed in its own genus, Craspedophora Gray, 1840, which is now a subgenus of Ptiloris.[2] The common name "riflebird" comes from the likeness of their black velvety plumage to the uniform of the British Army Rifle Brigade.[3]

Nominate male specimen at the Naturalis Biodiversity Center. Note its brilliant, scaly, iridescent, delta-shaped breast plate.

Description

This riflebird is a medium-sized bird, being up to 34 cm long. The male is velvet-black bird-of-paradise with elongated black filamental flank plumes, an iridescent blue-green crown, a wide, triangle-shaped breast shield, and on central tail feathers. It has a black curved bill, yellow mouth, blackish feet and a dark brown iris. The female is brownish with dark spots and buff bars below with a white brow. The immature male resembles the male but with less tail plumes.[4]

Behavior and Biology

The diet of the magnificent riflebird consists mainly of fruits and a variety of invertebrates such as spiders, millipedes, etc.[4] Males are polygamous and perform solitary courtship displays on a 'dancing perch'. During these displays, the male fully extends his wings and raises his tail; he jerks upward while swinging his head from side to side, showing off his metallic blue-green breast shield, and producing a distinctive "woosh" sound as he flaps his wings. Multiple females will observe these displays, and, if satisfied with the performance, reward the male with mating rights. Females subsequently build nests, incubate, brood, and feed young without male assistance.[5]

Nominate female at the Naturalis Biodiversity Center. Note the exceptional sexual dimorphism present in the species.

Taxonomy and Subspecies

Now considered a separate species, the Growling Riflebird (Ptiloris intercedens) is still occasionally considered conspecific with the Magnificent Riflebird, though genetic analysis proved it to merit specific status. The Magnificent Riflebird has two subspecies:

  • Ptiloris magnifica alberti Vieillot, 1819
  • Ptiloris magnifica magnifica, Elliot, 1871

References
  1. BirdLife International (2012). "Ptiloris magnificus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. Schodde, Richard (July 2010). "Handbook of the Birds of the World, vol. 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows.— Josep del Hoyo , Andrew Elliott , and David Christie , Eds. 2009. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. 893 pp., 51 color plates, 655 color photos, 484 distribution maps. ISBN 9788496553507. Cloth binding. $267.00". The Auk. 127 (3): 714–717. doi:10.1525/auk.2010.127.3.714. ISSN 0004-8038.
  3. Fraser, I.; Gray, J. (2013). Australian Bird Name - a complete guide. Collingwood, Victoria, Australia: CSIRO Publishing.
  4. Frith, C.; Frith, D. (2016). "Magnificent Riflebird (Ptiloris magnificus)". In del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D.A.; de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions.
  5. "Magnificent Riflebird (Lophorina magnifica)". www.hbw.com. Retrieved 2019-10-01.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.