Lophorina latipennis
The Greater Lophorina, *Lophorina latipennis*, is an icon of New Guinea's avian diversity, renowned for its spectacular courtship display. Males are approximately 25-26 cm (10-10.2 inches) long, excluding tail, and weigh around 60-100g, possessing iridescent velvet black plumage, a shimmering blue-green crown, and a magnificent shield of erectile velvety black feathers edged with brilliant iridescent blue-green, forming a fan-like cape around their head. Females are smaller, about 22-24 cm (8...
Found primarily in mid-mountain and montane rainforests, from approximately 900 to 2,000 meters (3,000-6,500 feet) in elevation. They prefer dense understory within these mature forests, often near forest gaps or clearings for display sites.
Their diet primarily consists of fruits, particularly berries and drupes, supplemented by a significant intake of insects and other arthropods. They forage by gleaning from branches and probing crevices in bark.
Greater Lophorinas are largely diurnal and solitary, spending their days foraging in the forest canopy and understory, and roosting high in trees at night. Males are highly territorial during the breeding season, vigorously defending small display courts cleared on the forest floor. Courtship inv...
The Greater Lophorina, *Lophorina latipennis*, is endemic to the island of New Guinea. Its distribution spans across the mountainous regions of both Papua New Guinea and Indonesian Papua (formerly Irian Jaya). This non-migratory species is found throughout the central mountain ranges, including t...
Least Concern
- The male Greater Lophorina performs one of the most iconic courtship displays in the avian world, transforming into a pulsating black disc with a glowing blue "smiley face. - His "cape" of velvety black feathers and iridescent blue-green crown are not only for show but also create a unique acou...