The Vogelkop lophorina, formerly part of the superb bird-of-paradise complex, is a species of passerine bird in the bird-of-paradise family Paradisaeidae. It is found in montane northwest New Guinea.
Region
Northwest New Guinea
Typical Environment
Occurs in humid montane forests of the Vogelkop Peninsula, including mossy and mid-montane evergreen forest. It uses dense understory and mid-canopy strata for foraging and moves along ridges and slopes where fruiting trees are common. Males establish display courts on logs or open patches on the forest floor within their small territories. The species tolerates lightly disturbed forest but depends on continuous canopy and complex vertical structure.
Altitude Range
1200–2200 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Vogelkop lophorina is a recently recognized species split from the superb bird-of-paradise complex and is confined to the Vogelkop (Bird’s Head) Peninsula of northwest New Guinea. Males perform a remarkable courtship display, transforming into a jet-black oval with a vivid, crescent-shaped electric-blue breast shield and eye-like spots that create a striking “smiley” visage. Females are cryptically barred brown, providing camouflage in dense montane forest. It is a canopy-to-understory forager that alternates between fruit and arthropods depending on seasonal availability.
An open-winged Vogelkop lophorina
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Typically solitary outside the breeding season. Males maintain small display courts and advertise to females with elaborate dances, wing flicks, and cape expansion; mating system is polygynous. Nests are built by the female, who alone incubates and cares for the young. Interactions are most intense around display sites and fruiting trees.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Calls are sharp, rasping notes and buzzy whistles, often repeated in series near the display court. Males also produce clicking and rustling sounds with wings and bill during displays. Vocalizations carry well in dense forest and serve to attract females and signal territory.
Plumage
Male is velvety jet-black with intense iridescent blue-green breast shield and crown/eye-spot patches; during display, the cape expands into a smooth oval silhouette. Female is warm brown with heavy barring and mottling, providing strong camouflage. Feathers appear plush and light-absorbing in males, with striking structural iridescence.
Diet
Feeds primarily on small fruits and berries, especially those of understory shrubs and mid-canopy trees. Supplements diet with insects and other arthropods gleaned from leaves, moss, and bark. Will occasionally take small invertebrates flushed from foliage during display or territorial chases. Diet composition shifts with seasonal fruit availability.
Preferred Environment
Forages in the understory to mid-canopy of humid montane forest, favoring edges of gaps, ridgelines, and areas with fruiting trees. Visits display courts on the forest floor and perches just above ground level to scan for food and rivals.
