The birds of paradise are songbirds of the family Paradisaeidae. They live in eastern Indonesia, Maluku, Papua New Guinea, Torres Strait Islands, and eastern Australia. Best known are the members of the genus Paradisaea, including the type species, the greater bird-of-paradise, Paradisaea apoda.

They live in tropical forests like rainforests, swamps and moss forest. They build their nests from soft materials, such as leaves, ferns, and vine monsters, typically placed in a tree fork.

These birds are best known for the remarkable plumage and behaviour of the males. They are an extreme example of how sexual selection works. 

Females choose males who they instinctively see are fine specimens of their species. The colours of the plumage, the construction of the nest, the song and the mating dance all play a part. In some species the pairing is monogamous, and in others the males are polygamous. If they are monogamous, the males look much like the females. If they are polygamous, the males are very much flashier than the females. In both cases, it is the female who makes the choice of partner.

Hunting for plumes and habitat destruction have reduced some species to endangered status. Habitat destruction due to deforestation is now the main threat.

Birds of paradise range in size from the king bird of paradise at 3 grams (1.8 oz) and 15 cm (6 in) to the black sicklebill at 110 cm (43 in) and the curl-crested manucode at 430 grams (15.2 oz).

Birds of paradise have bodies which look rather like a crow. They have stout or long bills and strong feet, About two-thirds of the species are strongly sexually dimorphic.

In most species, the diet is mostly fruit, but riflebirds and sicklebills also prefer insects and other arthropods.

Species of birds-of-paradise 
Genus Lycocorax
 Paradise-crow, Lycocorax pyrrhopterus

Genus Manucodia
 Glossy-mantled manucode, Manucodia atra
 Jobi manucode, Manucodia jobiensis
 Crinkle-collared manucode, Manucodia chalybata
 Curl-crested manucode, Manucodia comrii
 Trumpet manucode, Manucodia keraudrenii

Genus Paradigalla
 Long-tailed paradigalla, Paradigalla carunculata
 Short-tailed paradigalla, Paradigalla brevicauda

Genus Astrapia
 Arfak astrapia, Astrapia nigra
 Splendid astrapia, Astrapia splendidissima
 Ribbon-tailed astrapia, Astrapia mayeri
 Stephanie's astrapia, Astrapia stephaniae
 Huon astrapia, Astrapia rothschildi

Genus Parotia
 Western parotia, Parotia sefilata
 Carola's parotia, Parotia carolae
 Berlepsch's parotia, Parotia berlepschi
 Lawes's parotia, Parotia lawesii
 Eastern parotia, Parotia helenae
 Wahnes's parotia, Parotia wahnesi

Genus Pteridophora
 King of Saxony bird of paradise, Pteridophora alberti

Genus Lophorina
 Superb bird-of-paradise, Lophorina superbaGenus Ptiloris
 Magnificent riflebird, Ptiloris magnificus
 Eastern riflebird, Ptiloris intercedens
 Paradise riflebird, Ptiloris paradiseus
 Victoria's riflebird, Ptiloris victoriae

Genus Epimachus
 Black sicklebill, Epimachus fastuosus
 Brown sicklebill, Epimachus meyeri
 Black-billed sicklebill, Epimachus albertisi
 Pale-billed sicklebill, Epimachus bruijnii

Genus Cicinnurus
 Magnificent bird-of-paradise, Cicinnurus magnificus
 Wilson's bird-of-paradise, Cicinnurus respublica
 King bird-of-paradise, Cicinnurus regius

Genus Semioptera
 Wallace's Standardwing, Semioptera wallacii

Genus Seleucidis
 Twelve-wired bird-of-paradise, Seleucidis melanoleuca

Genus Paradisaea
 Lesser bird-of-paradise, Paradisaea minor
 Greater bird-of-paradise, Paradisaea apoda
 Raggiana bird-of-paradise, Paradisaea raggiana
 Goldie's bird-of-paradise, Paradisaea decora
 Red bird-of-paradise, Paradisaea rubra
 Emperor bird-of-paradise, Paradisaea guilielmi
 Blue bird-of-paradise, Paradisaea rudolphi

Greater "melampitta"
 Greater melampitta, "Melampitta" gigantea - tentatively included in this group

Formerly placed here
 Loria's bird-of-paradise, Cnemophilus loriae - probably closer to Melanocharitidae (berrypeckers) (Cracraft & Feinstein 2000).
 Crested bird-of-paradise, Cnemophilus macgregorii - probably closer to Melanocharitidae (Cracraft & Feinstein 2000).
 Yellow-breasted bird-of-paradise, Loboparadisea sericea - probably closer to Melanocharitidae (Cracraft & Feinstein 2000).
 Macgregor's giant honeyeater (formerly "Macgregor's bird-of-paradise"), Macgregoria pulchra - recently found to be a honeyeater (Cracraft & Feinstein 2000).
 Lesser melampitta, Melampitta lugubris - for some time tentatively placed here; probably Orthonychidae (logrunners)

References

Other websites 

 BBC Arts: Painting paradise: Art meets nature in Papua New Guinea. 
 Birds of Paradise
 Streaming video of a few birds of paradise's courtship display

Birds of Indonesia
Birds of Australia
Birds of Oceania