Mating: Birds of Paradise

Birds of paradise: this is how the species that live in the rainforests of New Guinea, in northern Australia, are known. The family has 42 species in 15 genera. The diet of all species is dominated by fruits and, to a lesser extent, arthropods. Birds of paradise exhibit a variety of breeding systems, ranging from monogamy to lek-type polygamy. The birds of paradise live in humid and closed forests, using broken tree trunks as a stage to perform a mating dance and attract the female. As soon as the seducer lands on a stump, it begins to emit a loud sound that resembles a scream. It is a way of calling the suitor and also of demarcating the territory. When the female appears, the male begins a seductive dance. It displays its plumage della and stretches its wings, initiating a movement with its head della, so that it seems to hide its face between the feathers. As soon as the partner enters the scene, the exhibitionism becomes even more evident and the rhythm of the dance accelerates and the species finally mates. It is one of the most beautiful forest love scenes ever recorded. The radiant plumes of these birds have been prized as decorative objects in Asia for thousands of years. Hunters who sold the first specimens to Europeans in the 16th century often removed the birds' wings and legs to emphasize the feathers. This inspired the legend of being, literally, birds of the gods, floating through the skies without ever landing, feeding on the paradisiacal mists.

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