Animalia Life

Manucodia chalybata
SUBFAMILY
Paradisaeinae
TAXONOMY
Manucodia chalybata Pennant, 1781, New Guinea (restricted to Arfak Mountains).
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Green-breasted manucode, crinkle-breasted manucode, green manucode; French: Paradisier vert; German: Grьnmanucodia; Spanish: Manucodia de Cuello Arrugado.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
13.0–14.2 in (33–36 cm); female 0.35–0.64 lb (160–289 g), male 0.33–0.58 lb (150–265 g). Male and female have blueblack head and neck with blue-green iridescent feather tips on chin, throat, neck, and nape. Upperparts and uppertail coverts and iridescent violet-black, with dark blue sheen. Underparts also violet-black, but with yellow-green iridescence. Dark bill and legs. Eyes red.
DISTRIBUTION
Hill and lower montane areas of New Guinea mainland and lowlands of Missol Island. Generally at 1,968–4,920 ft (600- 1,500 m) but occasionally from sea level to 5,575 ft (1,700 m) altitude.
HABITAT
Hill forests and midmontane rainforest edges.
BEHAVIOR
Courtship displays are simplistic, involving a male chasing a female through foliage via numerous perches. The male gives deep pigeon-like, or deep hollow, calls. Mostly frequents middle to upper forest structure. Flight appears floppy and awkward; wing beats are quick and convulsive, each accompanied by a sharp jerking of the cocked tail and interspersed by short glides.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Predomininatly frugivorous and specializing in fruits of Ficus figs. Commonly joins mixed species foraging flocks of predominantly black and/or brown birds.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Socially pair-bonded non-territorial monogamy with both sexes presumed to incubate and provision nestlings, as in other manucodes. Breeding during at least July through September, and in January. Nest is a shallow open cup suspended by its rim from a branch fork. Clutch is one or two eggs.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened. Apparently common over much of range.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
In being monogamous, Manucodia provide an interesting contrast to the majority of polygynous family members for socioecological study.

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