| Parotia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Lawes's parotia,Parotia lawesii Male above, female below | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Paradisaeidae |
| Genus: | Parotia Vieillot, 1816 |
| Type species | |
| Paradisea sefilata[1] J.R. Forster, 1781 | |
| Species | |
6; see text. | |
Theparotias are agenus,Parotia, of passerine birds in thebird-of-paradise family Paradisaeidae. They areendemic toNew Guinea. They are also known assix-plumed birds of paradise, due to their six head quills. These birds were featured prominently in the BBC seriesPlanet Earth.
The males of the genus are characterized by an ornamental plumage consisting of six wired head plumes with blackoval-shaped tips, a neck collar of black, decomposed feathers which can be spread into askirt-like shape, and bright or iridescent head and throat markings. During courtship, they performballerina-like dances and spread out their "skirt" on a patch of forest floor they have meticulously cleaned of dead leaves and other debris.[2] The "ballerina dances" usually consist of the male hopping from foot and bobbing their heads from side to side. The males arepolygamous and do not take part in raising the young.Clutch size is somewhat uncertain; it is usually one to three eggs.[3]
The genus name is composed ofpar, meaning "near" andAncient Greekωτοςōtos for "ear", specifically meaning "curl of hair by the ear", referring to six headplumes on each side of the head, characteristic to male birds of this genus.[4]
Genera ofcorvides and their extinct allies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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