Short-tailed paradigalla

The short-tailed paradigalla (Paradigalla brevicauda) is a species of bird-of-paradise.

Short-tailed paradigalla
In Papua New Guinea
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Paradisaeidae
Genus:	Paradigalla
Species:	P. brevicauda
Binomial name
Paradigalla brevicauda Rothschild & Hartert, 1911

Formerly presumed to have been monogamous, it is now considered to breed polygynously.^[2] It inhabits the New Guinea Highlands forests. The diet consists mainly of fruits, seeds and insects.

The short-tailed paradigalla is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.^[1] It is listed on Appendix II of CITES.

Description

Illustration of a male

The short-tailed paradigalla is medium-sized, approximately 23 cm long, stocky black plumaged with slender black bill and bright yellow and blue wattles in front of each eye. The sexes are almost similar in appearance: the female is smaller than the male with a duller plumage and smaller wattles. The short-tailed paradigalla is distinguished from its nearest relative, the long-tailed paradigalla, by its smaller size, shorter tail feathers and lack of red on the wattles.