King Bird-of-paradise

The King Bird-of-paradise is the smallest species in the bird-of-paradise family and one of the most vividly colored. Males have a brilliant crimson-red head, back, and breast, a clean white belly, and a narrow band of iridescent green across the upper breast.

Most distinctive are the male's two central tail feathers, reduced to bare wire-like shafts that curl at the tips into flattened, iridescent emerald-green discs. Females are dull olive-brown with barred underparts, showing none of the male's color or tail ornamentation.

Key field marks

• Small size, roughly sparrow-sized, smaller than most other birds-of-paradise
• Male: bright crimson upperparts, white underparts, and curled wire tail plumes with green disc tips
• Female: plain olive-brown above with fine barring below, no wire tail

Similar species

• No other bird-of-paradise combines this small size with crimson-and-white plumage and curled wire tail discs, making adult males essentially unmistakable
• Females can be confused with other small brownish forest passerines but the barred underparts and forest-interior habits help narrow identification

Habitat

Prefers the interior and edges of lowland and hill rainforest, typically below 900 m elevation.

Range

Endemic to New Guinea and nearby satellite islands including the Aru Islands and Misool.

Migration

Non-migratory resident.

Behavior

Males perform acrobatic solo displays on thin vertical saplings, puffing out their breast feathers, bouncing, and swinging upside down to show off the white belly and curled tail wires.

Voice

A distinctive series of sharp, high whistled notes and buzzy calls given from the forest mid-story.

Feeding

Forages alone or in small groups on fruit, particularly small drupes, and supplements its diet with insects and other arthropods gleaned from foliage.

Nesting and breeding

Polygynous; females build a cup or domed nest and incubate and raise the brood alone, with no involvement from the male after mating.