Alternative names: Albert Rifle-bird; Prince Albert's Riflebird
- Ptiloris magnificus
Identification
Male 34cm, female 28cm. A fairly large Bird-of-paradise with a long, decurved bill and a short tail.
Male
- Black plumage
- Black filamental flank plumes
- Iridescent blue green on its crown
- Iridescent blue greenwide triangle-shaped breast shield
- Black decurved bill
- Yellow mouth
- Dark brown iris
- Black feet
Female
- Smaller with slightly shorter bill
- Brown and rufous above
- Dirty white broad supercilium and malar stripe, finely flecked buff to brown
- Whitish chin, throat flecked and spotted blackish-grey
- Whitish underparts with fine buff to brown barring
Immature males are similar to females.
Distribution
New Guinea and northeastern Australia.
Common in parts of its range.
Taxonomy
Two subspecies accepted:
- P. m. magnificus in west and central New Guinea
- P. m. alberti patchily on Cape York Peninsula in northeast Australia and on Albany Island
Growling Riflebird is regarded as third subspecies of this species by some authorities[1][2].
Habitat
Evergreen forest, forest edge, sometimes in mangroves and timber plantations. Occurs from sea-level up to 700m, sometimes higher.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds on fruits and animals (insects, spiders and myriapods).
Forages usually singly. Sometimes in groups in fruit trees, also with other Birds-of-paradise and Pitohuis.
Breeding
Breeding season variable across range. A polygynous species. The male advertises by singing from several traditional perches. The female builds and attends the nest alone.
The nest is made of large dead leaves and vine tendrils. Lays 1 - 2 eggs.
Presumably a resident species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2012. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2012. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
- 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
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Magnificent Riflebird. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 25 April 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Magnificent_Riflebird
