Baiyer River Sanctuary

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The Baiyer River Sanctuary is a nature reserve located in the Western Highlands Province , Papua New Guinea . It was established on January 13, 1968 by the then Australian administration. It currently covers 740 hectares and extends over an area between 800 and 1200 meters above sea level. The name of the reserve is derived from the Baiyer River that flows through the area. The reserve is 40 kilometers from Mount Hagen .

The reserve is best known for its abundance of birds. 185 birds are found in the area, including numerous species of birds of paradise . In contrast, the number of mammals found there is comparatively small. Are represented rats , possums , kangaroos and bandicoots .

meaning

In the area of ​​the Baiyer River Sanctuary, numerous observations of wild birds of paradise and bower birds have been made. A number of these birds are also kept captive on the reserve. This enabled a number of important insights into the way of life of these species:

  • A hand-reared male Raggi Bird of Paradise lived in the Baiyer River Sanctuary for 25 years. In addition, the offspring of this species was successful in 1979, 1980, 1091 and 1983 with the same breeding pair.
  • The courtship behavior of the Little Bird of Paradise was observed here over several days , with several males gathering at a traditional courtship area.
  • The sickle-tailed bird of paradise was successfully bred in 1984 in the Baiyer River Sanctuary, which is believed to be the world's first breed.
  • The three-gang bowerbird has not yet been kept in captivity and, unlike some other species of bowerbird, has not been shown in zoos . Up until 2004, husbandry experiences were only available for a single male that was kept in the Baiyer River Sanctuary.
  • The reproductive biology of the green paradise crow has hardly been studied. From the Baiyer River Sanctuary, observations of the courtship behavior and also of the time of courtship behavior are available for birds held there.

literature

  • Bruce M. Beehler, Thane K. Pratt: Birds of New Guinea; Distribution, Taxonomy, and Systematics . Princeton University Press, Princeton 2016, ISBN 978-0-691-16424-3 .
  • Clifford B. Frith, Bruce M. Beehler : The Birds of Paradise - Paradisaeidae. Oxford University Press, Oxford 1998, ISBN 0-19-854853-2 .
  • Clifford B. Frith, Dawn. W. Frith: The Bowerbirds - Ptilonorhynchidae . Oxford University Press, Oxford 2004, ISBN 0-19-854844-3 .

Web links

Single receipts

  1. ↑ a b Frith & Beehler: The Birds of Paradise - Paradisaeidae . P. 469.
  2. ↑ Frith & Beehler: The Birds of Paradise - Paradisaeidae . P. 444.
  3. ↑ Frith & Beehler: The Birds of Paradise - Paradisaeidae . P. 401.
  4. ↑ Frith: The Bowerbirds - Ptilonorhynchidae . P. 395.
  5. ↑ Frith & Beehler: The Birds of Paradise - Paradisaeidae . P. 224.