The Birdcage: A Story of Queens in Feathers

Today’s topic was a request by my cousin. Despite my deep hatred and fear of birds (yes, I hate them - like, hate hate hate them), I love her enough to do a post about the Birds of Paradise.

I will say that if I did have to pick a bird to like, these would win.

Birds of Paradise is the common name given to 38 species of birds that are all members of the Paradisaeidae family. The majority of these species (34 of the 38) can only be found on New Guinea and its closely surrounding islands. These birds are similar in anatomy and diet to their ugly step-cousin, the crow, but what sets them apart are their looks and attitude. The Birds of Paradise are the divas of the avian world.

Varying greatly between species, Birds of Paradise come in almost neon colors. These are some pretty birds, with everything from brightly colored and elongated feathers (referred to as streamers) to enormous head plumes and fans. The males are usually the brightest and most ornate so they attract the ladies. Girl birds are not that shallow though – they need more than looks.

Male birds will spend a large portion of their time trying to impress the super critical females. A boy will clear away large areas to serve as a stage and then gather an audience of girl birds to come watch him perform. He will spend hours dancing around, showing off his feathers and showing how fast he can run. These shows are meticulously rehearsed and perfect by the time an audience is here. Good thing because the females are not a nice audience – they will leave if they don’t like the show. This male obsession with getting all pretty and then performing is why Ed Scholes of New York’s Museum of Natural History refers to the male Birds of Paradise as drag queens. And we all know that makes me like these birds a little more.

So why did evolution make bird drag queens?

Looking pretty and showing off to attract a mate is nothing out of the ordinary, but these birds take it to a whole other level. No other animal puts this much energy towards being flashy. This much attention on superficial things takes away from energy that could be spent on getting food. The shows put on by the males for the females do not even demonstrate what a good nest builder, food gatherer or protector the male is. Not to mention, performing in the middle of a wide open stage in an elaborate costume is a giant, “come and eat me” sign to predators.


This wouldn’t fly anywhere but New Guinea. It’s a classic, “location, location, location!” The birds of paradise live in a paradise. The island of New Guinea may be swarming with countless species of birds, but there are no mammal predators that want to eat them or compete with them for food. With no need to worry about finding food or protecting themselves, the birds have more time to look pretty. Sexual selection began favoring the prettier birds because being attractive became important to these species. Being a Bird of Paradise is as tough as being a model at fashion week in Paris – only the prettiest survive. If you think about it, finding a mate based on looks and not having to worry about survival skills is a lot like human dating.

So from one diva to another, keep dancing you sassy feathered queens!