Berlepsch's Parotia
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[Photo] Parotia berlepschi Berlepsch's Six-wired Bird of Paradise. Photo by Bruce Beehler / www.conservation.org

The Berlepsch's Parotia, Parotia berlepschi also known as Berlepsch's Six-wired Bird of Paradise is a medium-sized black bird of paradise with a bronzed upperparts, white flank plumes, black throat, an iridescent gold breast plumes and six flag-tipped head wires.

Its appearance resembles and often considered to be a subspecies of the Carola's Parotia, but it differs from the latter for having more heavily bronzed plumage and no eye ring.

Previously known only from four specimens, the home of this little known bird of paradise is located in 1985 by the American scientist Jared Diamond at Foja Mountains of Papua, Indonesia. Diamond encountered only female of this species. In December 2005, an international team of eleven scientists from the United States, Australia and Indonesia, led by ornithologist and Conservation International vice-president Bruce Beehler traveled to the unexplored areas of Foja Mountains and rediscovered the Berlepsch's Parotia among other little known and new species. The first photographs of them were taken during the rediscovery.

The name commemorates a 19th century German ornithologist Hans von Berlepsch.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlepsch%27s_Parotia

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