The Raggiana Bird of Paradise, Paradisaea raggiana also known as Count Raggi's Bird of Paradise is a large, up to 34cm-long, maroon-brown bird of paradise with greyish-blue bill, yellow iris and greyish-brown feet. The male has a yellow crown, dark emerald-green throat and yellow collar between the throat and its blackish upper breast feathers. It is adorned with a pair of long black tail wires and large flank plumes. The female is a comparatively drab maroonish-brown-colored bird.

The ornamental flank plumes vary from red to orange in color, depending on subspecies. The nominate subspecies, P. r. raggiana has the deepest red plumes, while subspecies P. r. augustavictoriae also known as the Empress of Germany's Bird of Paradise of northeast New Guinea has apricot-orange plumes.

The male is polygamous. The female usually lays up to two pinkish buff eggs. Its diet consists mainly of fruits and arthropods.

As requested by Count Luigi Maria D'Albertis, the name commemorates the Marquis Francis Raggi of Genoa.

The Raggiana Bird of Paradise is the national bird of Papua New Guinea.

Widespread and common throughout the tropical forests of eastern New Guinea, the Raggiana Bird of Paradise is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix II of CITES.

Gallery

Paradisaea raggiana at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park