Magnificent riflebird

Magnificent riflebird

Neville William Cayley's illustration of the immature male, mature male, and female magnificent riflebird.
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)^[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Paradisaeidae
Genus:	Ptiloris
Species:	P. magnificus
Binomial name
*Ptiloris magnificus* Vieillot, 1819

The magnificent riflebird (Ptiloris magnificus) is a species of passerine bird of the Paradisaeidae family.

The magnificent riflebird is widely distributed throughout lowland rainforests of western New Guinea and the northern Cape York Peninsula.

A widespread and relatively common species throughout its range, the magnificent riflebird is evaluated as a species of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix II of CITES.

This species used to be placed in its own genus, Craspedophora Gray, 1840, which is now a subgenus of Ptiloris.^[1]

Description

The magnificent riflebird is medium-sized (up to 34 cm long). The male is velvet-black bird-of-paradise with elongated black filamental flank plumes, an iridescent blue-green crown, a wide, triangle-shaped breast shield, and on central tail feathers. It has a black curved bill, yellow mouth, blackish feet and a dark brown iris. The female is brownish with dark spots and buff bars below with a white brow. The immature male resembles the male but with less tail plumes.^[2]

Diet

The diet consists mainly of fruits and arthropods.^[2]

Courtship display

Males are polygamous and perform solitary courtship displays on a 'dancing perch'. During these displays, the male fully extends his wings and raises his tail; he hops upward while swinging his head from side to side, showing off his metallic blue-green breast shield. Multiple females will observe these displays, and, if satisfied with the performance, reward the male with copulations. Females subsequently build nests, incubate, brood, and feed young without male assistance.

Subspecies

P. m. alberti Vieillot, 1819
P. m. magnificus Elliot, 1871

In addition, the growling riflebird (Ptiloris intercedens) is often considered a subspecies.

References

1 2 BirdLife International (2012). "Ptiloris magnificus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
1 2 Frith, C.; Frith, D. (2016). "Magnificent Riflebird (Ptiloris magnificus)". In del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D.A.; de Juana, E. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ptiloris magnificus.

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Birds-of-paradise (family: Paradisaeidae)

Genera and species

Genus	Species

Lycocorax	Paradise-crow

Manucodia	Glossy-mantled manucode Jobi manucode Crinkle-collared manucode Curl-crested manucode Trumpet manucode

Paradigalla	Long-tailed paradigalla Short-tailed paradigalla

Astrapia	Arfak astrapia Splendid astrapia Ribbon-tailed astrapia Princess Stephanie's astrapia Huon astrapia

Parotia	Western parotia Queen Carola's parotia Bronze parotia Lawes's parotia Eastern parotia Wahnes's parotia

Pteridophora	King of Saxony bird-of-paradise

Lophorina	Superb bird-of-paradise

Ptiloris	Magnificent riflebird Growling riflebird Paradise riflebird Victoria's riflebird

Epimachus	Black sicklebill Brown sicklebill

Drepanornis	Black-billed sicklebill Pale-billed sicklebill

Cicinnurus	Magnificent bird-of-paradise Wilson's bird-of-paradise King bird-of-paradise

Semioptera	Standardwing

Seleucidis	Twelve-wired bird-of-paradise

Paradisaea	Lesser bird-of-paradise Greater bird-of-paradise Raggiana bird-of-paradise Goldie's bird-of-paradise Red bird-of-paradise Emperor bird-of-paradise Blue bird-of-paradise

Incomplete list of likely hybrid birds-of-paradise

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