Birds of paradise live in Papua New Guinea. They were very close to becoming endangered, but then conservationists stepped in and now not one of the species is on the endangered list.

What are birds of paradise?

Birds of paradise are exotic birds that live in Papua New Guinea Islands and North Eastern Australia. They are large birds and have beautiful plumage and long, flowing tails that used to be used as a decorative accessory on women's hats. However, in 1908 selling birds of paradise skins, which were shipped all over the world to create hats, was banned. They've recovered, and now there are roughly 42 species of birds of paradise.

What do they eat?

Birds of paradise eat fruit and insects, though there are a few that will gnaw on small animals, such as frogs and lizards. Birds of paradise live in the forests of tropical climates where there is an abundance of fruits and insects for them to feed on.

Like many birds, male and female birds of paradise look different. Males are bigger and have a brighter, larger plumage. The plumage that attracts the females (and used to attract hunters) is on the back end of the birds — the tail feathers. This is why when birds of paradise decorated hats became all the rage, conservationists became concerned about the remaining birds' mating ratios. Hunters usually went after males because they were brighter and had a larger plumage so the islands were largely populated by females.

About a quarter of the birds of paradise are monogamous while the rest will collect as many ladies as possible. The male birds of paradise show their plumage to attract as many females as possible. The males will usually sing loudly when they're showing themselves off to the females. The female usually gets surrounded by a few males and then gets to pick the one she likes the most. After mating rituals are over and done with, the female will lay a nest and lay anywhere between 1-3 eggs.

Birds of paradise build their nests on the ground beneath lots of fauna or on a rock. They keep their nests out of the trees. The mother usually sits on the nest and keeps the eggs incubated for about 20 days. When the babies are born, they're hairless and helpless. It takes baby birds of paradise about 20 days to put on some weight and feathers, learn how to fly and leave the nest.