Astrapia Ribbon-tailed

Astrapia Ribbon-tailed

Flying Animal | Astrapia Ribbon-tailed | The scientific name commemorates the great naturalist and New Guinea explorer Fred Shaw Mayer, who was believed to have discovered the bird in 1938. However, it is now believed that explorer Jack Hides discovered the bird, while Mayer became interested in it later.

One of the most spectacular birds of paradise, the male Ribbon-tailed Astrapia has the longest tail feathers in relation to body size of any bird, over three times the length of its body.

Astrapia Ribbon-tail

Scientific classification
Kingdom:     Animalia
Phylum  :     Chordata
Class     :     Aves
Order    :     Passeriformes
Family   :     Paradisaeidae
Genus   :     Astrapia
Species :     A. mayeri

Binomial name
Astrapia mayeri

Astrapia Ribbon-tail

Distribution and population  Astrapia mayeri has a small range in the central mountains of Papua New Guinea, from the Strickland River to Mt Hagen and Mt Giluwe, c.130 km west. Its western limits require further surveying. It is generally fairly common, even in degraded forest. At a new site, Kumul Lodge in the west of its range, it is reported to be abundant4.

Astrapia Ribbon-tail

Trend justification There are no data on population trends; however, the species is thought to be in slow decline, owing to on-going habitat degradation. Ecology  It occurs in montane forest between 2,400 and 3,400 m, sometimes down to 1,800 m and also in degraded forest.