King of Saxony Bird-of-paradise

Drawing of a pennant carrier ( Pteridophora alberti )

The pennant carrier or Albert Bird of Paradise ( Pteridophora alberti ) from the mountain forests in central New Guinea is the only representative in the monotypic genus Pteridophora, which belongs to the family of birds of paradise.

The species is not endangered by the IUCN as (LC - Least Concern ) classified.

Description

Males reach a body length of about 22 cm and a body weight of 80 to 95 g head and top of the male are black, the underside is yellow-brown. The wings have large ocher-colored spots. The legs are gray - brown, the bill black.

Detection and Named giving feature of this bird of paradise are the pennant -like structures at the 50 cm long head feathers. Approximately 40 to 50 of these papers with light blue top and red-brown underside sit on one side and regular on the shaft of the rooted behind the eyes head feathers.

The simple females are 68-88 g. Your top is of a grayish brown color, the underside is creamy white.

Distribution and habitat

The pennant carrier is endemic to New Guinea. It is found mainly in the Weyland Range in western New Guinea and in a region in the south- east of the island ( Kraetkegebirge ). He lives there mountain rainforests in an elevation of 1,500 to 2,750 meters. The pennant carrier does not require pristine forests, he stayed in a slightly disturbed environment and forest edges.

System

The species is treated as monotypic, according to Mayr ( 1962) and Gilliard (1969 ), however, occur three subspecies:

• Pteridophora alberti alberti
• Pteridophora buergersi alberti Rothschild 1931
• Pteridophora alberti hallstromi Mayr & Gilliard, 1951

Frith & Beehler not recognize any subspecies, but stopped in 1998 found that P. op. alberti and P. hallstromi has a slightly longer wings and a longer tail than the same size P. buergersi.