Kingdom Animalia Family Paradisaeidae Phylum Chordata Order Passerine | Class Aves Genus Paradisea Rank Species | |
Similar Astrapian sicklebill, Rothschild's lobe‑billed bird of pa, Duivenbode's riflebird, Bensbach's bird of paradise, Barnes' astrapia | ||
Maria's bird of paradise, also known as Frau Reichenow's bird of paradise or Mrs Reichenow's bird of paradise, is a bird in the family Paradisaeidae that is a presumptive hybrid between an emperor bird of paradise and raggiana bird of paradise. It was named for the wife of the describer, German ornithologist Anton Reichenow.
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Description
Its measurements are largely intermediate between those of the parent taxa.
History
It was named as a supposed new species in 1894 before being largely accepted as a hybrid in the early 20th century. At least six adult male and one female specimens are known, from Sattelberg and the Finisterre Range of the Huon Peninsula in north-eastern New Guinea. The specimens are held by the American Museum of Natural History in New York and the Berlin Natural History Museum.