- Aiden (Grade 5) Apgujeong
The Superb Bird of Paradise
There are many different species of birds in the world. Among these species, I think
this is the most unusual and special.The name of this bird is the Superb Bird of
Paradise.
The Superb Bird of Paradise is about 26cm long from beak to tail. The male is black and has an iridescent green crown. It has a blue-green chest cover and a long velvety black erectile cape covering his back. The female is a reddish-brown bird with brownish barred buff below. The young is similar to the female.The Superb Bird of Paradise are a dimorphic species, which means occuring in or representing two distinct forms.
The Superb Bird of Paradise is special because it has an unusual mating routine. First, the male would attract the female with a loud call. Then, the curious female approaches. The males folded black feather cape and blue-green chest shield will spring upward and spread widely and symmetrically around its head. That will instantly transform the frontal view of the bird into a spectacular ellipse shaped creature that rhythmically snaps its tail feathers against each other, similar to how snapping fingers work, whilst hopping in frantic circles around the female. These species are polygynous and usually will mate with more than one female.
The Superb Bird of Paradise eats fruits and insects but also eats frogs, reptiles, and other small birds. Snakes and other big birds eat the Superb Bird of Paradise. They live in rainforests in mountains of New Guinea at about 5,000-7,300 feet. The population of the Superb Bird of Paradise is about 500,000 in the world right now.
I wrote about the Superb Bird of Paradise out of millions of other animals because it is endangered. That is why the Superb Bird of Paradise is unusual and special.