Vogelkop superb bird-of-paradise

The Vogelkop superb bird-of-paradise or crescent-caped lophorina (Lophorina niedda), sometimes noted as the curl-caped bird-of-paradise,[2] is a species of the Paradisaeidae (bird-of-paradise) family. It is endemic to the Bird's Head Peninsula in New Guinea (Vogelkop in Dutch).[3] First described in 1930 by Ernst Mayr, it had been treated as a subspecies of the superb bird-of-paradise but was elevated to the status of a full species in 2018 based on its striking black plumage that its feathers absorb 99.95 percent of light[4] and behavioral differences especially visible in the courting male, as shown in audiovisual data documented by Scholes and Timothy Laman of Harvard University's Museum of Comparative Zoology.[3][5]

Vogelkop superb bird-of-paradise
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Paradisaeidae
Genus: Lophorina
Species:
L. niedda
Binomial name
Lophorina niedda
Mayr, 1930
Synonyms

Lophorina superba niedda[1]

Etymology

The Vogelkop superb bird-of-paradise's scientific name consists of the words lophorina, meaning "tuft/crest-nose", referring to the upward-standing tufts of feathers behind each nostril, and niedda which refers to the native onomatopoeic name for a bird-of-paradise. The subspecies, L. n. inopinata's specific name means unexpected or unlooked for.

Taxonomy and systematics

Historical sources generally recorded the Vogelkop superb bird-of-paradise as being a subspecies of the superb bird-of-paradise (Lophorina superba niedda); however, some taxonomists argued that they were separate species altogether.[2] In 2018, the Vogelkop superb bird-of-paradise was confirmed to be a separate species to the superb bird-of-paradise. This was because of several differences in courtship behavior, as well as their geographic isolation from the rest of the population.[3] There are two known subspecies: L. n. niedda, found on the Wadammen Peninsula; and L. n. inopinata, found on the Doberai Peninsula.[2]

Distribution and habitat

The Vogelkop superb bird-of-paradise is found in the mountains of Bird's Neck Peninsula, in Western New Guinea, Indonesia.[1] It is typically found at heights of 1200–2000 m.[2]

References
  1. Cracraft, Joel (1992). "The species of the birds-of-paradise (Paradisaeidae): applying the phylogenetic species concept to a complex pattern of diversification". Cladistics. 8: 1–43. doi:10.1111/j.1096-0031.1992.tb00049.x. S2CID 85084803.
  2. Irestedt, Martin; Batalha-Filho, Henrique; Ericson, Per G. P.; Christidis, Les; Schodde, Richard (2017). "Phylogeny, biogeography and taxonomic consequences in a bird-of-paradise species complex, Lophorina–Ptiloris (Aves: Paradisaeidae)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 181 (2): 439–470. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlx004.
  3. Scholes, Edwin; Laman, Timothy G. (2018). "Distinctive courtship phenotype of the Vogelkop Superb Bird-of-Paradise Lophorina niedda Mayr, 1930 confirms new species status". PeerJ. 6:e4621: e4621. doi:10.7717/peerj.4621. PMC 5907773. PMID 29682415.
  4. McCoy, Dakota E.; Feo, Teresa; Harvey, Todd Alan; Prum, Richard O. (2018). "Structural absorption by barbule microstructures of super black bird of paradise feathers". Nature Communications. 9 (1): 1. doi:10.1038/s41467-017-02088-w. PMC 5760687. PMID 29317637.
  5. "Vogelkop Superb Bird-of-Paradise Confirmed as New Species". Sci-News.com. 18 April 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2018.


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