Read About Bird Of Paradise

The bird of paradise is a beautiful, sometimes funky looking bird that you will not find in North America unless you’re at a zoo. Here’s everything you need to know about the bird of paradise.

The bird of paradise likes the heat

There are 43 species of bird of paradise and they love warm humid weather. Most of the 43 species (35) live in New Guinea while the others live in the Moluccas and eastern Australia. They live in dense forests and can usually be found high in the tree tops; however, some can be found in scrub that’s closer to the ground.

What do they look like?

Many bird of paradise have very long flowing feathers that extend off their backend. The feathers kind of look like the big decorative quills that were used for writing well before the pen and pencil became the norm. The bird of paradise is a very exotic looking and looks nothing like the birds that we see in our backyards.

The bird of paradise seems to know that it’s a beautiful animal and uses its magnificent plumage to attract other bird of paradise during expansive mating rituals. The male bird of paradise is much more attractive than his female counter part and usually sports the most colorful velvety feathers that the species is known for.

The bird of paradise has very elaborate mating dances that are unique to each species. Some of them dance around and others hang from tree branch. A bird of paradise engaged in a mating ritual is a site to see. But for the males, beauty often comes at a price as they tend to live by themselves.

When the whole dancing/attraction ritual is over, the female will lay about one or two eggs. Some species will lay three eggs, but it’s not that common. The babies are born without any feathers and will hang out in the nest for 17-30 days before they take off on their own.

The bird of paradise is also a flower

Did you know that the bird of paradise is a bird and a flower? Well, it is and if you saw a picture of it, you’d probably recognize it. The bird of paradise as a flower is used in many elaborate, exotic looking floral arrangements.

The bird of paradise flower has pointed petals that usually look hard and triangular, much different than your rose or carnation. The bird of paradise flower is beautiful much like the bird of paradise the bird, but they are not to be confused.