I’m guessing it takes quite a lot to impress Sir David Attenborough – after all, he’s witnessed so many of the world’s top wildlife spectacles. But, the Blue Bird-of-paradise’s mating display broadcast in BBC 2’s Natural World on Wednesday 6th Jan did the trick – he was entranced, not only by the bird’s extreme beauty, but by his ‘bonkers’ behaviour; he was also glad to have another chance to see this wonderful display – one that Attenborough had hoped, but failed, to see in the wild during his time filming in Papua New Guinea.
Sir David’s great enjoyment as he watched the Blue Bird-of-paradise performing its mesmerising mating display was one of the highlights of a programme filled with ‘heavenly’ birds doing their stuff … but, apparently, Sir David is more easily impressed than the female Blue Bird-of-paradise!
While the almost impossibly beautiful male went into action, vibrating his glorious plumes at the female and treating her to a sound and sight show supposed to be for her eyes only, she scrutinised his efforts in minute detail. However, even the sound of the male’s hypnotic feather-quivering was not to her taste, and she flew off before the male had concluded his display, leaving him to sing alone on his perch!
‘Let’s get it clear,’ said Attenborough, a note of sympathy in his voice, ‘it’s the desires and fascinations of the females that have … made the poor male birds have to go through all these hoops and do all these fantastic things simply in order to make sure they get their girl.’ Let’s hope that one had better luck next time!
Papua New Guinea & its Glorious Birds-of-paradise:
Papua New Guinea (PNG) is practically the only place in the world where you can see birds-of-paradise – birds so beautiful that the first European explorers thought they must have come from the Garden of Eden … ‘an image of beauty’ taken, says Attenborough, ‘almost to the edge of absurdity’!
New Guinea is one of the wildest, most unexplored regions on Earth, with some 90% of the country still covered in forest. It has the richest avifauna of any island with nearly 400 endemic species, including many of the birds-of-paradise, perhaps the most extraordinary family of all the world’s birds. In addition, the island holds a wonderful assembly of pigeons, doves, parrots and kingfishers (including the endemic Shovel-billed), not to mention gorgeous jewel-babblers, fairy-wrens and stunning species such as Flame Bowerbird and Garnet Robin. Raptors are not numerous, but one of the most magnificent lives in PNG, the New Guinea Harpy-eagle.
Want to see Birds-of-paradise?
Although their incredible displays are often shown on television, to watch birds-of-paradise in the field is a priceless experience of a lifetime. Naturetrek’s 17-day birdwatching holiday goes to the magnificent forests of Papua New Guinea in search of the island’s remarkable birds-of-paradise and many other species, together with a glimpse of the unique culture of the indigenous Huli ‘wigmen’.
Magnificent, Black Sicklebill, Magnificent Riflebird, parotias and Raggiana birds-of-paradise – all featured in the Natural World programme – are some of the many species we go in search of during our 17-day tour to Papua New Guinea. We visit leks (display clearings) and look for bowerbirds plus PNG’s wonderful variety of kingfishers, as well as many other exotics!
Papua New Guinea – Departures in 2010:
Sun 29th Aug – Tue 14th Sep 2010
Sun 12th – Tue 28th Sep 2010
Cost: £5,995
Find out about Naturetrek’s Papua New Guinea tour:
For more information or to book a tour to Papua New Guinea call Paul Dukes on 01962 733051 or email pauldukes@naturetrek.co.uk
Checklist of birds-of-paradise seen on previous Naturetrek PNG tours:
Loria’s Bird-of-paradise
Crested Bird-of-paradise
Glossy-mantled Manucode
Crinkle-collared Manucode
Trumpet Manucode
Short-tailed Paradigalla
Ribbon-tailed Astrapia
Princess Stephanie’s Astrapia
Carola’s Parotia
Lawes’ Parotia
King-of-Saxony Bird-of-paradise
Magnificent Riflebird
Eastern Riflebird
Superb Bird-of-paradise
Black Sicklebill
Brown Sicklebill
Pale-billed Sicklebill (seen only once)
Magnificent Bird-of-paradise
King Bird-of-paradise
Twelve-wired Bird-of-paradise
Lesser Bird-of-paradise
Greater Bird-of-paradise
Raggiana Bird-of-paradise
Blue Bird-of-paradise