This is Bird Note.

It's early morning on the island of New Guinea.

The lowland forest erupts with the crowing calls of male Ragiana Birds of Paradise.

Groups of male Raggiana Birds of Paradise. Groups of male Ragiana Birds of Paradise perform elaborate displays to attract females,

the size of small crows.

The males have a yellow head, bright green throat, and a lush mass of fine, russet orange plumes that hang well beyond their tails.

In a sequence known as the flower display, the males hang upside down with their wings flexed

downward while flaunting those russet plumes upward.

Birds of paradise, an aptly exotic name for this most varied and extravagantly decorated

group of birds. All 43 species are found on New Guinea or nearby. Picture one named

the ribbon tail to Stropia as it flies along the forest edge.

With an emerald green head and velvety black body, the Estropia trails two slender white

tail plumes of full three feet behind its body. They undulate like fine ribbons in the breeze.

Woo! They undulate like fine ribbons in the breeze.

For Bird Note, I'm Mary McCann.