Paradise star
| Paradise star | ||||||||||||
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Astrapia stephaniae |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Astrapia | ||||||||||||
| Vieillot , 1816 |
The paradise stars ( Astrapia ) are a genus from the family of the birds of paradise (Paradisaeidae). It includes five species that occur in New Guinea and colonize largely different regions there. Only with the Stephanie-Paradieselster and the narrow-tailed Paradieselster does the distribution area partially overlap.
Paradise stars are comparatively small, compactly built birds, in which the males and in some species also the females have an extremely elongated middle control spring pair . In the narrow-tailed paradise elster, these two extended control springs can reach a length of just over a meter. The individual species have been researched to varying degrees. Little is known about the way of life and reproductive biology of three species, namely the blue-breasted paradise elster , the fan paradise and the splendid paradise elster.
The IUCN classifies the narrow-tailed paradise as potentially endangered ( near threatened .). The other species are not considered endangered ( least concern ).
description
Anatomical features
The skull structure of the paradise star is almost identical to that of the genus of the actual birds of paradise . There is only one feature that is similar to those of the Manukodes . But there is also an outward similarity with the Reifelvögel , the Radiant Paradise Birds and the Collared Paradise Birds , which, like the Paradise Stars , are genera of the subfamily of the actual Birds of Paradise.
The paradise star's beak is slender and around 20 percent longer than the head. It is almost the same length in all five species in both sexes and slightly bent downwards at the end. A sexual dimorphism does not only exist in plumage, but also in body size. The males are about 10 percent larger than the females. The nostrils are partially covered with feathers.
Tail plumage
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The tail plumage is strongly tiered, the middle pair of control feathers is greatly elongated in all species and is between 6 and 16 times longer than the shortest pair of control feathers. The shape of the middle pair of control springs is different: it can be noticeably widened, very narrow and end in a black point, or it can be widened in the shape of a spade at the end. In four species, the middle control feathers become longer with increasing age, whereas in the Stephanie and the narrow-tailed paradise elster the remaining pairs of control feathers shorten, so that the length contrast of the tail plumage increases. Only with the Pracht-Paradieselster does the middle control spring pair get shorter with increasing age.
Remaining plumage
The plumage is very dark in all species. Especially in the males it is very iridescent. The females, which also have an elongated tail plumage, are duller colored. On the upper side of the body and the chest they are usually blackish-brown, the underside, on the other hand, is red-brown to blackish with a fine transverse banding on the lower abdomen. Several males have conspicuously shiny chest bands that sometimes run up the sides of the chest to the eye. In the blue-breasted prachtelster, these feathers are extended up to 3.6 centimeters at the same time and end in strong copper-colored, shiny tips, especially on the sides of the chest , features that can also be found in the genera Drepanornis and Epimachus .
distribution
The paradise stars occur exclusively in New Guinea , which with an area of 786,000 km² is the second largest island on earth after Greenland . The island is located in the area of the Pacific Ring of Fire , where the Pacific and Australian lithospheric plates meet. That's why it is criss-crossed by a chain of large mountains. The paradise stars are limited in their distribution to these mountains and sometimes only populate individual mountain ranges. The main focus of the fan paradise is for example the Arfak Mountains of Vogelkop , a peninsula in northwest New Guinea. Mount Hagen and the surrounding mountains are the main focus of the narrow-tailed paradise magpie. The Finisterre Mountains, the Saruwaged Range , the Cromwell and the Rawlinson Mountains on the Huon Peninsula are the main distribution areas of the Blue Breast Paradise Magi.
Reproduction
All Paradise Stars are polygyn , which means that a male mates with several females if possible. The females raise the offspring alone. For individual species, such as the Stephanie magpie, it has been proven that the males courted on traditional leks . Between two and five males gather there. The courtship behavior has been investigated to varying degrees - however, it is typical that the males quickly hop back and forth between two seats on branches. Their long tail plumage comes into its own.
Among other things, the females block the stems of orchids in the nest. The nests are usually high up in the treetops in a fork of branches. The clutch consists of one or two eggs. The eggs all have elongated spots as is typical for the subfamily of the actual birds of paradise.
Paradise star and man
Birds of paradise are hunted by the indigenous peoples of New Guinea and their hides and feathers are made into head and body decorations. For this reason, they are also a popular item of trade. The species that are affected by this also include the paradise stars, albeit to different degrees. The splendid paradise star, for example, seems to be one of the species that are less valued and therefore hunted less often. In contrast, the feathers of the male blue-breasted paradise star are particularly valued by the Nokopo people. When hunting the Stephanie magpie, the fact that the males gather at traditional courtship areas is exploited. In principle, the influence of the hunt on the population of the paradise stars is not considered to be serious. All species occur in mountainous regions, which are very isolated and inaccessible. The population density in these regions is very low.
species
The genus includes five species:
- Narrow- tailed paradise magpie ( Astrapia mayeri Stonor , 1939 )
- Black-throated magpie or fan paradise ( Astrapia nigra ( JF Gmelin , 1788) )
- Rothschild Paradise Elster or Blue Breast Paradise Elster ( Astrapia rothschildii Foerster , 1906 )
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Splendid paradise of paradise ( Astrapia splendidissima Rothschild , 1895 )
- Astrapia splendidissima splendidissima Rothschild, 1895
- Astrapia splendidissima Helios Mayr, 1936
- Stephanie's paradise magpie ( Astrapia stephaniae ( Finsch , 1885) )
Trivia
The German name and the epithet of the Stephanie-Paradieselster were given in honor of Stephanie of Belgium at the time of the first scientific description of the Crown Princess of Austria-Hungary .
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 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Frith & Beehler: The Birds of Paradise - Paradisaeidae . P. 268.
- ↑ a b Astrapia mayeri in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2010. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2008. Accessed September 8, 2010 ..
- ↑ a b c Frith & Beehler: The Birds of Paradise - Paradisaeidae . P. 249.
- ↑ a b Huon Astrapia (Astrapia rothschildi) on ibc.lynxeds.com, accessed August 27, 2014.
- ↑ a b Frith & Beehler: The Birds of Paradise - Paradisaeidae . P. 270.
- ↑ Frith & Beehler: The Birds of Paradise - Paradisaeidae . P. 257.
- ↑ Frith & Beehler: The Birds of Paradise - Paradisaeidae . P. 276.
- ↑ Ribbon-tailed Astrapia (Astrapia mayeri) on ibc.lynxeds.com, accessed August 27, 2014.
- ↑ Arfak Astrapia on australianmuseum.net.au, accessed on August 27, 2014.
- ^ ITIS Report: Astrapia Vieillot, 1816