Fun King Bird-of-paradise Facts For Kids

A vividly colored bird, the king bird-of-paradise (Cicinnurus regius), is a perching bird that belongs to the family of Paradisaeidae. The king bird-of-paradise, a so-called living gem, is the smallest in the Paeadisaeidae family.

The average weight of the female birds is 0.08–0.13 lb (36-59 g), while the male birds weigh around 0.10-0.14 lb (45-64 g). The king bird-of-paradise is about 6.3-7.5 in (16-19 cm) long.

Known for their beautiful bodies, males have red feathers, dark green breast bands, and whitish lower breasts. The crown or the head of the male bird is also somewhat orange. In comparison, females have olive-brown feathers with yellowish underparts.

The birds are endemic to New Guinea and adobe in lowland rainforests, gallery forests, secondary forests, and forest edges. The birds are also found in the nearby islands such as Yapen, Missol, Salawati, and Aru. The species primarily prey on fruits and arthropods.

The king bird-of-paradise is evaluated as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List and has been listed in Appendix II of CITES. Keep on reading to learn more interesting facts about the king bird-of-paradise. If you want to know more exciting information about different animals, check out the moorhen and red kite.  

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King Bird-of-Paradise Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a king bird-of-paradise?

One of the most colorful birds, the king bird-of-paradise (Cicinnurus regius), is an omnivore. They are native to New Guinea and nearby islands. The species is a so-called living gem.

What class of animal does a king bird-of-paradise belong to?

The king bird-of-paradise belongs to the class of the Aves, the Paradisaeidae family, genus Cicinnurus.

How many king birds-of-paradise are there in the world?

The exact population of the king bird-of-paradise (Cicinnurus regius) is not known. A recent study reveals that around 42 species of the Paradisaeidae family are found in different parts of Papua New Guinea and Australia. Also, habitat loss and hunting are the prime concerns and reasons for the population decline.

Where does a king bird-of-paradise live?

The king bird-of-paradise (Cicinnurus regius) is primarily endemic to New Guinea but is also found in the surrounding islands such as Yapen, Missol, Salawati, and Aru. Several species of the Paradisaeidae family are also found in different regions of Australia.

What is a king bird-of-paradise's habitat?

As arthropods are the primary diet of the species, the birds are mainly found on the lowland. The birds live in lowland rainforests, gallery forests, secondary forests, forest edges.

Who do king birds-of-paradise live with?

The king birds-of-paradise are solitary and prefer to live mostly alone. The birds generally come together during the mating season.

How long does a king bird-of-paradise live?

The king bird-of-paradise (Cicinnurus regius) mainly lives for around five to eight years. The Cicinnurus regius species can live up to 30 years if kept in captivity.

How do they reproduce?

The breeding season of king bird-of-paradise (Cicinnurus regius) starts from March to October. The birds-of-paradise are polygynous and not monogamous, which means the male mates with multiple female partners. They do not mate for life.

The process begins with different courtship behaviors that involve vocalizations, body movements, tail swinging, vibrations of wings, and many more. The female birds-of-paradise generally lay two eggs at a time, and the incubation period lasts for around two weeks. Like other species, the female birds-of-paradise are involved in the construction of nests.

What is their conservation status?

The species is endemic to New Guinea. The king bird-of-paradise is evaluated as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List and has been listed in Appendix II of CITES. But over the years, the population has been declining primarily due to hunting but has not become extinct yet.

King Bird-of-Paradise Fun Facts

What do king birds-of-paradise look like?

All the species of the Paeadisaeidae family are vividly colored. The male birds of Cicinnurus regius are primarily found in metallic red, while females have olive-brown plumage with violet legs.

How cute are they?

The king bird-of-paradise so-called living gem is the smallest in the Paeadisaeidae family, genus Cicinnurus. The cutest thing about the birds is the courtship behavior during the breeding season. They vibrate their wings, swing their large tails to attract each other.

How do they communicate?

Like other birds, the birds-of-paradise follow the same methods of communication. They use call notes, body language to communicate with each other. Males generally beat their wings to grab the attention of the females in the breeding season. The courtship behavior of males also involves body swings.

How big is a king bird-of-paradise?

The king bird-of-paradise is around 6.3-7.5 in (16-19 cm) long and is one of the smallest birds among the paradise family. The species is twice the weight of the weebill birds of Australia.

How fast can a king bird-of-paradise fly?

There is no information regarding the speed of the king bird-of-paradise.

How much does a king bird-of-paradise weigh?

The males are slightly bigger than the female paradise birds. The average weight of the female birds is 0.08–0.13 lb (36-59 g), while the male birds weigh around 0.10-0.14 lb (45-64 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no specific names given to male and female birds-of-paradise. People generally differentiate the birds by looking at their bodies.

What would you call a baby king bird-of-paradise?

No particular name is used to describe a baby king bird-of-paradise. People generally use chick or young bird.

What do they eat?

The birds inhabit the lowland forest and fruits or arthropods are the primary diet of the species. The main predators of birds-of paradise are snakes, owls, and hawks.

Are they dangerous?

There is no sufficient information regarding the social behavior of the species but these birds are very small compared to other native species, also they prefer to be alone. The king birds-of-paradise are generally not harmful or dangerous to humans but can attack if someone tries to provoke and come closer to their nests.

Would they make a good pet?

The species is endemic to New Guinea, thus we don't have much information on whether people keep them as pets. Also, the population of the species is declining with the rise of hunting activities. It is suggested not to keep them in captivity as they belong to the wild.

Did you know...

Several studies revealed that the female king bird-of-paradise breed with the males of other species such as the magnificent bird-of-paradise.

The female birds sometimes also use the shed skin of a snake to construct the nests.

The eagle is known as the king of birds.

Why are birds-of-paradise called birds-of-paradise?

The birds-of-paradise are widely known for their beautiful plumage or feathers. Be it the magnificent bird of paradise, red bird-of-paradise, or king bird-of-paradise, the colorful plumage attracts everyone.

What is the biggest bird-of-paradise?

The greater bird-of-paradise (Paradisaea apoda) is the largest bird-of-paradise family and the average size of the bird is 17 in (43 cm). The bird is also known as the 'legless bird-of-paradise.'

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our grouse facts and African penguin facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable king bird-of-paradise coloring pages.