---
title: "What the sources say about the King of Saxony Bird-of-Paradise | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "39 claims from the King of Saxony Bird-of-Paradise profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
image: "https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/king-of-saxony-bird-of-paradise-1.webp"
canonical: "https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/king-of-saxony-bird-of-paradise/sources/"
---

# What the sources say about the King of Saxony Bird-of-Paradise (*Pteridophora alberti*)

> 39 claims from the King of Saxony Bird-of-Paradise profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [King of Saxony Bird-of-Paradise](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/king-of-saxony-bird-of-paradise/)

## Pteridophora alberti (King of Saxony bird-of-paradise). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Pteridophora_alberti/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A male's twin head plumes run twice his body length | A feather shaft twice as long as the bird's body (approximately 50 cm) sporting 40 to 50 flag-like structures are rooted behind each eye. (note: male: the account describes the plumes under 'Mature male', and females lack them; 'twice as long' is the source's own; its 'approximately' qualifies the 50 cm, not the ratio) |
| worked by muscles housed in hollows of his skull | Pteridophora alberti skulls have small depressions behind the occipital cavity to allow for the musculature necessary to control the occipital plumes. |
| his courtship song has been likened to radio static | The male's song has been described as a radio-static hiss |
| Montane rainforests of the New Guinea highlands, roughly 1,500 to 2,750 meters up | King-of-Saxony birds-of-paradise are found exclusively in rain forests in the mountains of New Guinea from 1,500 to 2,750 m above sea level. (note: the account's data box gives 1500 to 2850 m; 'roughly' covers the prose figure used here) |
| Mostly fruit, favoring green fruits and especially false figs, plus insects | Approximately 80% of their diet consists of fruit; they tend to favor green fruits, especially false figs above most other fruits. They are also known to eat insects. |
| A male's two head plumes, each about 50 centimeters long | A feather shaft twice as long as the bird's body (approximately 50 cm) sporting 40 to 50 flag-like structures are rooted behind each eye. |
| controlled by muscles housed in small skull depressions | Pteridophora alberti skulls have small depressions behind the occipital cavity to allow for the musculature necessary to control the occipital plumes. |
| He measures about 22 centimeters long and weighs 80 to 95 grams | Mature male King-of-Saxony birds-of-paradise are approximately 22 cm long and weigh 80 to 95 g. |
| females run smaller, 68 to 88 grams, with grey-brown backs and pale, chevron-marked underparts instead of his black-and-buff body | The head, chest and top of the body are black, with scale-like iridescent feathers on the chest, the underbody is buff-yellow. ... Female P. alberti have off-white underbodies patterned with darker chevrons, while the tops of their bodies are grey-brown in color. ... Females weigh 68 to 88 g. |
| Behind each of his eyes grows a feather shaft that reaches roughly 50 centimeters, twice his own length, strung with 40 to 50 flags that are bright blue on top and red-brown underneath | A feather shaft twice as long as the bird's body (approximately 50 cm) sporting 40 to 50 flag-like structures are rooted behind each eye. These flags are bright blue on top, and red-brown underneath. |
| Near dawn or in late afternoon, a displaying male sits on a bare branch in the canopy and sings a hissing rattle, moving his two plumes in step or independently to attract a female | near dawn or in late afternoon, the male attracts a female by singing a hissing rattle while sitting on a bare branch in the canopy. He accompanies his song with synchronous or independent movements of his occipital plumes |
| When she arrives, he flies down to a vine in the understory, usually two meters or more from the forest floor, perches below her, bounces, and hisses again, shivering his wings if she seems uninterested | When a female arrives, he flies down to vines in the understory, usually 2 or more meters from the forest floor. There, he perches below the female on a vine, bounces, and gives a hissing call, which is often accompanied by ... if the female appears disinterested, wing shivers |
| He wags his head from side to side as he hops up the vine toward her to mate. Afterwards she leaves, and he returns to his perch to court another female. | When approaching the female for copulation, the male wags his head from side to side while hopping up the vine. After copulation, the female leaves, and the male returns to his perch to attract another female. |
| Small hollows in the skull make room for the muscles that control a male's two head plumes | Pteridophora alberti skulls have small depressions behind the occipital cavity to allow for the musculature necessary to control the occipital plumes. |
| each one twice as long as his body | A feather shaft twice as long as the bird's body (approximately 50 cm) sporting 40 to 50 flag-like structures are rooted behind each eye. (note: 'twice as long' is the source's own; its 'approximately' qualifies the 50 cm, not the ratio) |
| The male's song has been described as a radio-static hiss that speeds up while dropping in volume, in bursts of four to five seconds repeated at one-minute intervals | The male's song has been described as a radio-static hiss, which increases in tempo and lessens in volume simultaneously. Songs last 4 to 5 seconds, and are repeated at one-minute intervals. |
| Immature males, who wear the same plumage as females | There are also immature males that sport female-style plumage. |
| give a different call, a noisy descending churr | Immature males give calls described as noisy descending churrs. |
| The mating system is called an "exploded lek": each male displays from his own spot, but many males are generally spread across a large area, all trying to court females | The mating system is considered an "exploded lek" because males perform mating displays in their own spot, but there are generally many males in a large area where all are attempting to court females. |
| The species lives only in the mountain rainforests of New Guinea, across two main ranges running from the Weyland and Snow Mountains east to the Bismarck and Kratke Ranges, at roughly 1,500 to 2,750 meters | is native to the rain forest regions of New Guinea. There are two main ranges, which run in a generally south-east line from the Weyland and Snow Mountains eastward to the Bismarck and Kratke Ranges ... found exclusively in rain forests in the mountains of New Guinea from 1,500 to 2,750 m above sea level (note: 'only'/'lives only in' paraphrases the source's own 'found exclusively in') |
| It does not need pristine forest, and can survive in lightly disturbed rainforest and at forest edges | These birds don't require pristine forest; P. alberti can survive in lightly disturbed sections of rain forest and forest edges as well. |
| About 80 percent of its diet is fruit; it tends to favor green fruits, especially false figs, and also eats insects | Approximately 80% of their diet consists of fruit; they tend to favor green fruits, especially false figs above most other fruits. They are also known to eat insects. |
| Adult males forage mainly in the upper canopy, while females and female-plumaged males have been seen at every level of the forest | Adult males forage mainly in the upper canopy, but females and males with female-plumage have been spotted in all levels of forest growth. |
| Males were hunted for their plumes, which were used in women's hats from the late 1800s into the 1930s | King-of-Saxony birds-of-paradise have been hunted in the past for the striking occipital plumes sported by males, which were used in ladies' hats in the late 1800's into the 1930's |
| The Wola people of New Guinea used the plumes in traditional headdresses and imitated the male's courtship display in their ritual dances | The Wola people of New Guinea imitate the courtship displays of P. alberti in their ritualistic dances; the Wola also use the occipital plumes in traditional headresses. (note: past tense on purpose: the account (references accessed 2008) rests on Sillitoe 1988, too old to state as a current practice) |
| The species has no known predator as an adult, though eggs and nestlings may fall to arboreal snakes or other birds | King-of-Saxony birds-of-paradise have no known predators. ... Eggs and nestlings may be preyed on by arboreal snakes or other birds. |
| Only the female. She builds her own nest and cares for the chick by herself, including feeding it. Beyond mating, the male has no part in raising the young. | Only female P. alberti care for chicks. Other than the actual copulation event, males have no parental investment in the raising of young. Females build their own nests, and care for chicks by themselves, including providing food. (note: 'Beyond mating' paraphrases the source's 'Other than the actual copulation event') |
| With muscle, and a skull shaped to hold it. The species' skull has small depressions that make room for the musculature controlling the plumes. | Pteridophora alberti skulls have small depressions behind the occipital cavity to allow for the musculature necessary to control the occipital plumes. |
| While he sings from his perch, a male swings the pair in step or independently, often holds his mantle cape and breast shield erect, and usually turns repeatedly on the branch. | He accompanies his song with synchronous or independent movements of his occipital plumes; the mantle cape and breast shield are also often held erect. The male usually turns repeatedly on his perch. |
| No natural predator of adults is known, although people have hunted the birds for their plumes. Eggs and nestlings may be taken by tree-climbing snakes or other birds. | King-of-Saxony birds-of-paradise have no known predators. However, humans have been known to hunt them for their exquisite plumage. Eggs and nestlings may be preyed on by arboreal snakes or other birds. |
| Two Plumes, Twice His Body Length | A feather shaft twice as long as the bird's body (approximately 50 cm) sporting 40 to 50 flag-like structures are rooted behind each eye. (note: heading; 'twice as long' is the source's own; its 'approximately' qualifies the 50 cm, not the ratio) |
| A Courtship in Two Parts | The courtship display of male King-of-Saxony birds-of-paradise has two general parts. (note: heading) |
| A Song Like Radio Static | The male's song has been described as a radio-static hiss (note: heading) |
| Mountain Forests | found exclusively in rain forests in the mountains of New Guinea (note: heading) |
| the Hat Trade | which were used in ladies' hats in the late 1800's into the 1930's (note: heading) |
| he swings | He accompanies his song with synchronous or independent movements of his occipital plumes (note: vibe.reason; settled in #826) |
| whose two head plumes, each about 50 cm and twice his body length, carry bright blue flags | A feather shaft twice as long as the bird's body (approximately 50 cm) sporting 40 to 50 flag-like structures are rooted behind each eye. These flags are bright blue on top, and red-brown underneath. (note: vibe.reason; the flags' blue is claimed in the body) |
| while singing a hiss likened to radio static | The male's song has been described as a radio-static hiss (note: vibe.reason) |

## Pteridophora alberti. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2024: e.T22706229A264321788.

https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2024-2.rlts.t22706229a264321788.en

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| the IUCN rates it Least Concern | Least Concern (note: category read through GBIF's copy of the 2024 Red List assessment per docs/fact-check.md; iucnredlist.org refuses scripts) |