40 Australian Geographic
N A PATCH OF rainforest near Mount Glorious,
in the D’Aguilar Range, about 30km north-west
of Brisbane, I glimpse a male paradise riflebird
dart through the trees. Its silky, jet-black body
glistens as the blue-green iridescence on its breast
shield, crown and tail glints in the late spring sunlight.
Birds-of-paradise in the wild are striking, but most excit-
ing about this encounter isn’t the bird itself. It’s what I
see once the bird shoots out of view: the distant outline
of the Brisbane skyline. What a contrast.
For more than a decade, wildlife photographer Tim
Laman and I have ventured to some of the most rugged
and remote New Guinea and Queensland forests in our
quest to scientifically document, photograph, and capture
footage of each of the 41 species in the Paradisaeidae
family as part of our Birds-of-Paradise Project.
These are some of the most difficult birds in the world
to see, generally residing in out-of-the-way locations
and selecting perches inaccessible to people. Yet the par-
adise riflebird, one of only four birds-of-paradise found
in Australia, lives in the figurative backyard of millions.
These treasures dwell in the highland rainforests of the
vast Great Dividing Range, just beyond earshot of the
bustling cities and towns of northern NSW and
south-eastern Queensland.Renowned for their brilliant colours and ostentatious
mating displays, birds-of-paradise are the result of millions
of years of evolution and are among the world’s most
attractive birds. Males often feature large head plumes
or fans, vibrant ruffs, flamboyant breast shields and elon-
gated adornments, known as wires or streamers. They
use their ornamentation to attract females, performing
elaborate dances and poses to garner attention.
While most species are confined to New Guinea and
the surrounding islands, four live in Australia – a nod to
the massive land bridge that once connected these two
great lands. These include the trumpet manucode and
three riflebirds: the magnificent, Victoria’s, and paradise
riflebirds. Two of these riflebirds, the Victoria’s and par-
adise riflebirds, are endemic to Australia.
In most ways, Australia’s riflebirds resemble their
counterparts in New Guinea: they are largish (rangingI
Evolutionary biologist Ed Scholes’ fascination with
birds-of-paradise lies in how their beauty and variety came to
be. He first joined forces with acclaimed wildlife photographer
Tim Laman in 2003, after which the pair spent more than a
decade together documenting these extraordinary birds.Ed Scholes and Tim Laman
This male magnificent riflebird at Cape York’s Piccaninny
Plains wildlife sanctuary transforms from a bird into
a fantastic black ovoid form, as it frantically whips its
head sideways while moving up and down to the rhythm
of its unique display.SCIENTIFIC NAMES, THIS PAGE:Ptiloris magnificus; OPPOSITE PAGE:Ptiloris paradiseusQUEENSLANDMagnificent riflebird
Ptiloris magnificus