Carola's Parotia

Alternative names: Queen Carola's Six-wired Bird-of-paradise; Queen Carola's Parotia

Parotia carolae

Includes: Bronze Parotia

Identification

Male 26cm, female 25cm. A distinctive short-tailed Parotia.

Male

• Velevety black plumage
• Three ornamental head wires behind each eye
• Elongated display side feathers
• White plumes on flanks
• Gold and white crest
• Gold whiskers and eyebrow (no eyebrow in berlepschi which has also blackish whiskers)
• Bronzed yellow-green and/or magenta to pink iridescent throat
• Sulphur-yellow eye

Female

• Brownish plumage
• Grey barred underparts
• Female berlepschi paler and more white on head

Juveniles are undescribed, immature males similar to females.

Distribution

Endemic to the mountains of New Guinea.
Fairly common and widespread.

Taxonomy

Subspecies^[1]

There are 6 subspecies:

• P. c. carolae:

• Western New Guinea (Weyland Mountains east to Wissel Lakes)

• P. c. meeki:

• New Guinea (Snow Mountains to Victor Emanuel Mountains)

• P. c. chalcothorax:

• Western New Guinea (Doorman Mountains)

• P. c. berlepschi:

• Western New Guinea (Van Rees and possibly Foya mountains)

• P. c. clelandiae:

• Papua New Guinea border to southern watershed of Eastern Highlands

• P. c. chrysenia:

• Eastern New Guinea (northern escarpment of Central Highlands)

Berlepschi is sometimes considered a separate species Bronze Parotia or Foja Parotia.
Hybrids with Superb Bird-of-paradise have been recorded.

Habitat

Middle montane forests. Aso in regrowth and abandoned gardens. Occurs at 1100 - 2200m, mainly at 1450 - 1800m.

Behaviour

Presumably a resident species.

Diet

Feeds on fruits and animals. Seeks insects by probing.

Breeding

Breeding season at leat from September to October. A polygynous species. The male attends a terrestrial court where it shows a complex display courtship involving a dance. The female builds and attends the nest alone. No information about nest, nest-site or clutch size.

References

1. Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Avibase#Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2009. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553507

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Carola's Parotia. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 21 December 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Carola%27s_Parotia

External Links

Search for photos of Carola's Parotia in the gallery