Greater Bird-of-paradise (Paradisaea apoda)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Greater Bird-of-paradise

Paradisaea apoda Linnaeus, 1758

43 cmLength172 gWeight

The male has a green face, chestnut-brown body and long, fluffy yellow-and-white feathers trailing from the flanks.

Busiest months: July–August · Most records: Papua New Guinea, Trinidad & Tobago

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

  1. Male has an iridescent green face
  2. Male has a yellowish-silver sheen from crown to nape
  3. Male has flank feathers with yellow bases, white tips and chestnut markings
  4. Eyes yellow; bill blue

Male, female and young

Male brightly colored; female smaller, chestnut-brown overall and without barring.

Voice

Male gives a series of “wauk” notes during courtship, some in rapid succession.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: July–August · Most records: Papua New Guinea, Trinidad & Tobago

Greater Bird-of-paradise has been recorded at 15 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 2 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Tabubil-Kiunga Rd – Km 17Papua New Guinea357 records
  2. Boystown Road – Bowerbird HillPapua New Guinea126 records
  3. Boys Town Road, KiungaPapua New Guinea68 records
More places
  1. Tabubil AreaPapua New Guinea60 records
  2. Drimgas Road, KiungaPapua New Guinea50 records
  3. Ok Menga Hydro IntakePapua New Guinea28 records
  4. Dablin Creek RoadPapua New Guinea26 records
  5. Kwatu LodgePapua New Guinea26 records
  6. Elevala and Ketu RiversPapua New Guinea21 records
  7. Elevala River – between Fly River and Ketu RiverPapua New Guinea10 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Papua New GuineaTrinidad & Tobago

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

Questions

How big is the Greater Bird-of-paradise?

The Greater Bird-of-paradise is about 43 cm long and weighs around 172 g.

Where does the Greater Bird-of-paradise live?

Its breeding range: Australasia: southern New Guinea and Aru Islands (southwest of New Guinea). It is most often recorded in Papua New Guinea and Trinidad & Tobago.

When is the best time to see the Greater Bird-of-paradise?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in July and August (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Greater Bird-of-paradise endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Greater Bird-of-paradise as Least Concern.

What does the Greater Bird-of-paradise eat?

Main food: Fruit.

What family is the Greater Bird-of-paradise in?

It belongs to the family Birds-of-paradise (Paradisaeidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
43 cm
Weight
172 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Fruit
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
213 mm
Tail
146 mm
Bill
40 mm
Tarsus
50 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Australasia: southern New Guinea and Aru Islands (southwest of New Guinea)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Birds-of-paradise Paradisaeidae
Genus
Paradisaea

Other birds in the genus Paradisaea

Raggiana Bird-of-paradiseRaggiana Bird-of-paradiseParadisaea raggianaLesser Bird-of-paradiseLesser Bird-of-paradiseParadisaea minorGoldie's Bird-of-paradiseGoldie's Bird-of-paradiseParadisaea decoraRed Bird-of-paradiseRed Bird-of-paradiseParadisaea rubraEmperor Bird-of-paradiseEmperor Bird-of-paradiseParadisaea guilielmiHalmahera Paradise-crowHalmahera Paradise-crowLycocorax pyrrhopterusObi Paradise-crowObi Paradise-crowLycocorax obiensisGlossy-mantled ManucodeGlossy-mantled ManucodeManucodia aterTagula ManucodeTagula ManucodeManucodia alterJobi ManucodeJobi ManucodeManucodia jobiensis
Greater Bird-of-paradise

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