Ribbon-tailed Bird of Paradise (Astrapia mayeri)

This was the last Bird of Paradise to be discovered by ornithologists, being initially described in 1939 on the basis of a pair of the male's long, ribbon-like central tail feathers found in a tribal headdress. Up to 1 metre (39 inches) long, these impressive plumes are twitched from side to side during a display which may attract several females to the male's perch high in the trees. These birds have a broad diet, including fruits, insects, spiders, small mammals and reptiles.