Wildlife
Male superb birds of paradise carry a two-pronged, iridescent blue shield on their breasts. They have small territories which they defend from other males. Within this territory they might have one or two preferred spots, such as a particular tree branch, from where they call and display to visiting females.
Scientific name: Lophorina superba
Rank: Species
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Trance dance
Superb bird of paradise plumage creates a sound and light show.
Superb bird of paradise plumage creates a sound and light show.
Birds in paradise
Extravagant plumage leads to lavish courtship displays.
No collection by David Attenborough would be complete without one of his favourite kinds of animals - the birds of paradise. This footage shows the lavish courtship displays performed by some of the most magnificent species. Compare it too, with the six-wired bird of paradise clip from Planet Earth later in the collection.
Bird of paradise
Birds of paradise exhibit their bizarre courting techniques in the jungle.
Birds of paradise are Sir David's favourite species, and he is always delighted to film them anew. For Planet Earth the birds were filmed with a high-definition camera with superb low light gathering qualities, giving much crisper, clearer footage in conditions where film would have been dull or grainy.
The following habitats are found across the Superb bird of paradise distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.
RainforestDiscover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.
Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web
Least Concern
Year assessed: 2009
Classified by: IUCN 3.1
The Superb Bird-of-paradise (Lophorina superba), also known as the Smiley Bird Of Paradise, is a small, approximately 26 cm long, passerine bird of the Paradisaeidae (Birds of Paradise) family. It is the only member in the genus Lophorina. The Superb Bird-of-paradise is distributed throughout rainforests of New Guinea.
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Courtship display
Adapted to flying
Egg layer
Polygynous
Seed dispersal
Sexual dimorphism
Visual communication