Species of Bird of Paradise or Cendrawasih (including hybrids and former members)

Genus Lycocorax

Genus Manucodia

Genus Paradigalla

Genus Astrapia

Genus Parotia

Genus Pteridophora

Genus Lophorina

Genus Ptiloris

Genus Epimachus

Genus Cicinnurus

Genus Semioptera

Genus Seleucidis

Genus Paradisaea

Hybrid Species of Birds of Paradise

Hybrid birds of paradise may occur when individuals of different species, that look similar and have overlapping ranges, confuse each other for their own species and crossbreed.

Some named hybrids and presumed hybrids are:

• Astrapian Sicklebill, also known as the Green-breasted Riflebird, was described as a species (Epimachus astrapioides Rothschild, 1897), but is a hybrid between the Arfak Astrapia and Black Sicklebill.
• Barnes’ Astrapia, also known as Barnes’ Long-tail, was described as a species (Astrarchia barnesi Iredale, 1948), but is a hybrid between Ribbon-tailed Astrapia and Stephanie’s Astrapia.
• Bensbach’s Bird of Paradise, also known as Bensbach’s Riflebird, was described as a species (Janthothorax bensbachi Büttikofer, 1894), but is presumed to be a hybrid between the Magnificent Riflebird and Lesser Bird of Paradise.
• Blood’s Bird of Paradise, also known as Captain Blood’s Bird of Paradise, was described as a species (Paradisea bloodi Iredale, 1948), but is a hybrid between the Raggiana Bird of Paradise and Blue Bird of Paradise.
• Duivenbode’s Bird of Paradise was described as a species (Paradisea duivenbodei Menegaux, 1913), but is a hybrid between the Emperor Bird of Paradise and Lesser Bird of Paradise.
• Duivenbode’s Riflebird was described as a species (Paryphephorus (Craspediphora) duivenbodei Meyer, 1890), but is a hybrid between the Superb Bird of Paradise and Magnificent Riflebird.
• Duivenbode’s Six-wired Bird of Paradise, was described as a species (Parotia duivenbodei Rothschild, 1900), but is presumed to be a hybrid between the Western Parotia and Superb Bird of Paradise.
• Elliot’s Bird of Paradise, was described as a species (Epimachus ellioti Ward, 1873), but is a presumed hybrid between the Arfak Astrapia and Black Sicklebill.
• False-lobed Astrapia, also known as the False-lobed Long-tail, was described as a species (Pseudastrapia lobata Rothschild, 1907), but is a hybrid between the Long-tailed Paradigalla and Black Sicklebill.
• Gilliard’s Bird of Paradise is a hybrid between the Raggiana Bird of Paradise and Lesser Bird of Paradise.
• King of Holland’s Bird of Paradise, also known as King William III’s Bird of Paradise, was described as a species (Diphyllodes gulielmi III Meyer, 1875) but is a hybrid between the Magnificent Bird of Paradise and King Bird of Paradise.
• Lupton’s Bird of Paradise was described as a subspecies (Paradisea apoda luptoni Lowe, 1923), but is a hybrid between the Raggiana Bird of Paradise and Greater Bird of Paradise.
• Lyre-tailed King Bird of Paradise, also known as the Lonely Little King or Crimson Bird of Paradise, was described as a species (Cicinnurus lyogyrus Currie, 1900), but is a hybrid between the Magnificent Bird of Paradise and King Bird of Paradise.
• Mantou’s Riflebird, also known as Bruijn’s Riflebird, was described as a species (Craspedophora mantoui Oustalet, 1891), but is presumed to be a hybrid between the Magnificent Riflebird and Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise.
• Maria’s Bird of Paradise, also known as Frau Reichenow’s Bird of Paradise, was described as a species (Paradisea maria Reichenow, 1894) but is thought to be a hybrid between the Emperor Bird of Paradise and Raggiana Bird of Paradise.
• Mysterious Bird of Bobairo is presumed to be a hybrid between the Black Sicklebill and Superb Bird of Paradise.
• Rothschild’s Bird of Paradise was described as a species (Paradisea mixta Rothschild, 1921), but is a hybrid between the Raggiana Bird of Paradise and Lesser Bird of Paradise.
• Rothschild’s Lobe-billed Bird of Paradise, also known as the Noble Lobe-bill, was described as a species (Loborhamphus nobilis Rothschild, 1901), but is presumed to be a hybrid between the Long-tailed Paradigalla and Superb Bird of Paradise.
• Ruys’ Bird of Paradise was described as a species (Neoparadisea ruysi van Oort, 1906), but is presumed to be a hybrid between the Magnificent Bird of Paradise and Lesser Bird of Paradise.
• Schodde’s Bird of Paradise is a hybrid between the Blue Bird of Paradise and Lawes’s Parotia.
• Sharpe’s Lobe-billed Parotia, also known as Sharpe’s Lobe-billed Riflebird, was described as a species (Loborhamphus ptilorhis Sharpe, 1908), but is presumed to be a hybrid between the Western Parotia and Long-tailed Paradigalla.
• Stresemann’s Bird of Paradise was described as a subspecies (Lophorina superba pseudoparotia Stresemann, 1934), but is a hybrid between the Superb Bird of Paradise and Carola’s Parotia.
• Wilhelmina’s Bird of Paradise, also known as Wilhelmina’s Riflebird, was described as a species (Lamprothorax wilhelminae Meyer, 1894), but is presumed to be a hybrid between the Superb Bird of Paradise and Magnificent Bird of Paradise.
• Wonderful Bird of Paradise was described as a species (Paradisea mirabilis Reichenow, 1901), but is a hybrid between the Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise and Lesser Bird of Paradise.

Former “birds of paradise”

Species formerly considered to be members of the Paradisaeidae but which have been since separated include the:

• Velvet Satinbird (Formerly known as the Loria’s Bird of Paradise) (Cnemophilus loriae)
• Antenna Satinbird or Crested Cnemophilus (Cnemophilus macgregorii), formerly known as the (Sickle) Crested Bird-of-paradise
• Silken Satinbird (formerly known as the Yellow-breasted Bird-of-paradise) (Loboparadisea sericea)
• Macgregor’s Giant Honeyeater (formerly “Macgregor’s Bird-of-paradise”), Macgregoria pulchra – recently found to be a honeyeater
• Lesser Melampitta, Melampitta lugubris – for some time tentatively placed here; probably Orthonychidae (logrunners)
• Greater Melampitta, “Melampitta” gigantea – probably a logrunner or a pitohui