Lawes's parotia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lawes's parotia |
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| Male above, female below | |
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| Genus: |
Parotia
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| Species: |
lawesii
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The Lawes's parotia (Parotia lawesii) is a beautiful bird that belongs to the bird-of-paradise family. It's a medium-sized bird, growing up to about 27 centimeters (10.6 inches) long. You can only find this special bird in the mountain forests of southeast and eastern Papua New Guinea. This means it is endemic to that area.
Like many birds of paradise, the male Lawes's parotia mates with several females. This bird mainly eats fruit, seeds, and small insects or spiders.
A person named Carl Hunstein first found this bird's home near Port Moresby in 1884. The bird was named to honor Reverend William George Lawes, an important missionary in New Guinea.
The Lawes's parotia is quite common in its home range. Because of this, it is listed as "Least Concern" on the IUCN Red List, which means it's not currently in danger of disappearing. It is also protected under CITES Appendix II, which helps control its trade.
What Does Lawes's Parotia Look Like?
Male Lawes's Parotia Appearance
The male Lawes's parotia is a truly stunning bird! It has soft, velvet-black feathers. On its forehead, it has a shiny, silvery-white crest that can stand up. The back of its neck is a beautiful iridescent purple-blue color.
Its chest has amazing golden-green feathers that reflect light in a special way. These feathers can switch sharply between bright blue-green and orange-yellow colors when the bird moves. This happens because of tiny structures in the feathers that reflect light differently. This special color-changing ability helps the male attract a mate during its courtship dance.
The inside of the male's mouth is a bright lime green color. It also has three unique, spoon-shaped wires that stick out from behind each eye. Plus, it has long, black feathers on its sides that spread out like a skirt when it performs its courtship display.
Female Lawes's Parotia Appearance
The female Lawes's parotia looks different from the male. She is mostly a brown bird with a darker head. Her eyes are yellow, and her underside is yellowish-brown with dark stripes. Interestingly, the color of her eyes can change slightly between blue and yellow, depending on how she is feeling!
