Displays of Lawes's Parotia Parotia lawesii (Paradisaeidae), with reference to those of congeneric species and their evolution

Abstract

Single captive males of Lawes's Parotia Parotia lawesii were watched calling, displaying, clearing their courts and feeding, one in Rotterdam Zoo and the other at Baiyer River Sanctuary. They displayed on cleared courts, performing highly complex sequential dances of stereotyped movements with specific postures and feather movements. Behavioural data presented are consistent with the view, based on morphological evidence, that the longer-tailed species of Parotia are primitive and shorter-tailed ones derived. Some components of the display are common to all species of Parotia but, correlated with longer to shorter length of tail and associated increase in complexity of head-feathering, is a behavioural cline from arboreal to terrestrial displays within the genus.

Unlike most displaying polygamous birds-of-paradise, performing male parotias are silent and relatively colourless, presenting a jet-black species-specific silhouette highlighted only by species-specific iridescent feathers on upper breast and head accompanied by head and feather manipulations. The silent terrestrial displays of the male and associated morphology suggest that potential predation has been a significant selective force in evolving such.

displays. Circumstantial evidence appears to suggest that adult male parotias are more likely to clear and defend individual courts as normal behaviour during the breeding season than they are to be communal as has been suggested recently. Adult male dispersion in species of Parotia is, however, unexamined.