Astrapia Espléndida

Identificación

The Splendid astrapia is a medium-sized bird-of-paradise species, and it is the smallest member of the Astrapia genus, with males averaging approximately 39 cm (around 15 in), the slightly smaller females coming in at 37 cm (14.6 in). The males probably have the most iridescent plumage of the Paradisaeidae family. The male's head to mantle is a shiny iridescent light bluish-green to yellow-green, while the chin throat is more of a metallic turquoise to shiny green, depending on lighting. Beneath the throat is a coppery-red gorget that tappers as it moves up the side of the breast, all the way to the eyes. The rest of the underparts are a silky dark-green, except for the lower tail-coverts, which is more of a light brownish colour. The upperparts, like the wings and back, are brown to darkish brown. The relatively long tail is made up of two long, white plumes with black spatulate tips with a violet iridescence, and the feathers beneath those are plain black. The drabber female has a dark brown to blackish head, lighter, dark brownish wings and back, dusky light brown underparts with heavy barring, and a similar tail to the male, but without a spatulate tip and a much more reduced amount of white on the upper tail. Subspecies helios is larger than splendidissima, male has a more blue than yellow-green crown, and larger spatulate tips on the longer two central feathers, and female has darker upperparts. They have dark-coloured eyes, lead-grey legs and bill, and dark grey claws.<p>Much like most of its family members, splendid astrapias make their own unique, though eccentric, vocalizations. A very distinguishable, insect-like "tik to-keet" note is produced by the birds with varying speed, and the "keet" portion sounding akin to a brief whistle; however they also make frog-like croaks, yelps composed of "wroo-wree woo" notes, and simple "teeks" and "toks".

Taxonomía

Nombre científico

Astrapia splendidissima

Autoridad

Rothschild, 1895

Orden

Passeriformes

Familia

Paradisáidos

Género

Astrapia

Distribución y hábitat

Migración

Resident species

Conservación

Widespread and common species throughout its range, the splendid astrapia is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix II of CITES.

Tendencia poblacional

stable