Wild Fact #787 – Gettin Jiggy Wit It – Six Plumed Birds of Paradise
You are all very lucky that my family was watching the BBC Special, Planet Earth tonight. Otherwise this post would be about the “Cat in the Hat” instead of the Six Plumed Birds of Paradise. You see nobody made any suggestions but luckily my brother called while he was watching the incredible video and asked if I had completed a Wild Fact on this awesome dancing bird. After thinking about it I realized that I hadn’t talked about this bird yet so here it is.
As I mentioned the Birds of Paradise made it big time when they were featured on Planet Earth. It was the wicked dancing skills of the males that landed the Six Plumed Bird of Paradise on this hit documentary. As usual, it is only the mature males that are flashy. These guys are usually black with some bizarre plumage. For example they have 3 wire-like feathers protruding from behind each eye. If that isn’t weird enough for you than how about that iridescent patch of feathers on their chest? Still not impressed? Geez, you are harder to impress than the female bird that shot down the dancing male on Planet Earth. Well, the last thing they have to impress you with is the unusual feathers they have on their sides that extend past their torso. I don’t know how the women aren’t impressed by this since the females (and juvenile males) are boring in comparison with a typical brown colour and lighter coloured breast. Yaawwwn!
Unfortunately the women Birds of Paradise aren’t just interested in looks when they are selecting a mate. They want a man that can dance! What is it with women judging men on their dancing skills? Okay, I know the answer to this but I don’t think we should get into that here. If you have watched the above mentioned video (or the short clip posted below) than you will know the males have a very complex courtship dance. Before the dance starts the male will clear an area so it is free from leaves and debris. This display territory will usually have at least one horizontal perch such as a stick or a vine. This is basically a front row seat for the female to sit on while watching the show. Once the dance floor is cleared and the pretty lady is comfortable in her seat then the show can begin. All of a sudden an rather ordinary bird is transformed into an awesome looking dancing machine. I was going to try and explain their dance but I think it is best if you just refer to the video clip below. Trust me, you will like it.
