Paradise Riflebird

1. Males: Jet black with iridescent greenish-blue throat shield and crown

2. Females: Rufous-brown above, pale underparts with dark chevrons and broad pale eyebrow

3. Both: Long, strongly curved black bill suited for probing bark and epiphytes

Paradise Riflebirds primarily feed on fruit and arthropods such as insects and spiders, foraging by probing tree trunks and branches with their curved bills. Breeding takes place from August to February, peaking from September to January. Males are polygynous and perform solitary, elaborate displays on traditional perches to attract females, raising their wings and flashing their iridescent breast shield. Only the female builds the nesta bulky bowl of vine stems and finer materials, often decorated with fresh fern fronds or sloughed snakeskid she alone incubates 1-2 eggs and raises the young.

Paradise Riflebirds inhabit subtropical and temperate rainforests, as well as adjacent wet sclerophyll forests, along the Great Dividing Range from just south of Rockhampton in Queensland to just north of Newcastle in New South Wales. They are most common in upland forests above 5 meters but can be found at lower elevations, especially in winter. Males display from exposed branches in the canopy, and the species is more often heard than seen, thanks to the male’s loud, drawn-out “yaassss” or “yaaarss” call that can carry great distances through the forest.