Astrapia rothschildi
The Huon Astrapia, *Astrapia rothschildi*, is a breathtaking bird-of-paradise endemic to the rugged montane forests of Papua New Guinea's Huon Peninsula. Males are immediately striking, measuring approximately 69 cm (27 inches) in total length, with their most defining feature being an extraordinarily long, broad, and deeply forked tail, which can reach up to 47 cm (18.5 inches) and is primarily black with white outer feathers. Their body plumage is a velvety black, contrasted sharply by a re...
This species exclusively inhabits the cool, wet primary upper montane and cloud forests of the Huon Peninsula, typically found at elevations between 1,800 and 2,500 meters (5,900-8,200 feet) above sea level.
Primarily frugivorous, consuming a variety of drupes and berries, but also supplements its diet with insects (arthropods) gleaned from foliage and bark.
Huon Astrapias are diurnal birds, primarily foraging alone or occasionally in small, loose mixed-species flocks. Males engage in a polygynous breeding system, performing elaborate courtship displays from traditional, often solitary, display perches high in the forest canopy. These displays involv...
The Huon Astrapia is strictly endemic to the Huon Peninsula, located in the Morobe Province of eastern Papua New Guinea. Its distribution is confined to the upper montane and cloud forests of the Saruwaged and Finisterre Mountain ranges. It is a non-migratory, resident species, maintaining its pr...
Least Concern
- The male Huon Astrapia possesses one of the longest tails relative to its body size among all birds-of-paradise, reaching up to 68% of its total length. - Its iridescent head plumage changes from golden-green to blue-green or coppery-bronze depending on the angle of light, a phenomenon caused b...