@Robertclarkphoto The red bird-of-paradise is one of the 700 vibrant bird species found on Papua New Guinea. Because New Gui...

@Robertclarkphoto
The red bird-of-paradise is one of the 700 vibrant bird species found on Papua New Guinea. Because New Guinea is an island with few predatory species, local birds species have flourished in the face of little competition.
The red Bird–of–paradise is an example of the extreme sexual dimorphism apparent in the Paradisaeidae family. Like Wilson's Bird-of–paradise, the male Red BOP displays its extravagant plumage during mating season. Prancing in front of potential mates, the males spread vibrant red tail feathers out in a grand fan and two corkscrewing quills emerge from the birds rump, adding to the mating spectacle.
This image was originally taken on an assignment for @natgeo for an article, the curious evolution of feathers. The subsequent collection of images taken for that assignment have been compiled into a book: Feathers - Displays of Brilliant Plumage. Check out @Robertclarkphoto for more feathers and information regarding the book. #evolution #evolutionarybiology #sexualselection #feathers