The Splendid astrapia is a species of Astrapia of the birds-of-paradise family, Paradisaeidae, and one of the least known and most elusive of its family and genus.
Splendid astrapia
Specimen of a male A. s. splendidissima from the Naturalis Biodiversity Center. Note the shiny iridescent bluish-green chin and throat.
Female A. s. splendidissima specimen. As mentioned in the text, note how drastically different the plumage of the female is from the males'.
Astrapia is a genus of birds-of-paradise. The genus contains five species, all endemic to New Guinea. The males have highly iridescent plumage and remarkably long tails. Females are duller and have shorter tails.
Astrapia
Ribbon-tailed Astrapia, Papua New Guinea