The Arfak astrapia is a species of astrapia, a group of birds found in the birds-of-paradise family Paradiseidae. In the wild, the bird has hybridised with the black sicklebill creating offspring that were once considered a distinct species, Elliot’s sicklebill “Epimachus ellioti”.
The genus Astrapia was introduced in 1816 by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot to accommodate the Arfak astrapia, which therefore became the type species. The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek astrapios or astrapaios meaning “of lightning”.
The Male has a much longer tail with an iridescent green belly, black chest, and small, iridescent blue throat patch. Female is blackish with indistinct barring on the belly. Feeds on fruit and searches for insects on mossy branches and epiphytes. Somewhat similar to Black Sicklebill but Arfak Astrapia lacks the long, curved bill.
This scientific name, Astrapia nigra, consists of the words “astrapaios” meaning flashing or lightning, and “nigra” meaning black. It was actually the first species of Astrapia to be discovered, so the generic name was first assigned to this bird.
How Do They Produce Young Ones
Breeding habits are mostly unknown because it is hard to find them.
The females definitely build the nests and tend the chicks, as with most other birds-of-paradise, though the exact rearing period is unknown.
All that is known about the courtship display is that the males display on a branch upside-down with their nape crests spread out, dense breast feathers flared up, and tails standing vertically upwards above the branch.
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