Birds of Paradise - World Championship Decks 2002

The birds-of-paradise are members of the family Paradisaeidae of the order Passeriformes. They are found mainly in New Guinea, as well as eastern Australia and the Moluccas. The family has 44 species in 17 genera. The members of this family are perhaps best known for the plumage of the males of the species, the majority of which are sexually dimorphic. The males of these species tend to have very long, elaborate feathers extending from the beak, wings, tail, or head. For the most part, they are confined to dense rainforest habitats. The diet of all species is dominated by fruit and to a lesser extent arthropods. The birds-of-paradise have a variety of breeding systems, ranging from monogamy to lek-type polygamy. Notably, the long tail feather of the Greater bird-of-paradise is used as a decorative element in the Shripech, the royal crown of Nepalese monarchs.