Lophorina

Lophorina is a genus of birds in the birds-of-paradise family Paradisaeidae that are endemic to New Guinea, formerly containing a single species, but as of 2017, containing three species.

Taxonomy

The genus Lophorina was introduced in 1816 by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot for a single species, Paradisea superba, the Vogelkop lophorina. This is now the type species. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek lophos meaning "crest" or "tuft" with rhis, rhinos meaning "nostrils. The genus formerly contained a single species, the superb bird-of-paradise, which had five subspecies. In 2017 the Swedish ornithologist Martin Irestedt and collaborators suggested that the superb bird-of-paradise should be split into three species. They also proposed a neotype from the Kobowre Mountains in New Guinea for the no longer extant type specimen for Paradisea superba. The original type specimen for superba had been assumed to come from the Bird's Head Peninsula. Although, the split was generally supported by other ornithologists, the designation of the neotype and the resulting assignment of subspecies were strongly disputed. The taxonomy adopted here rejects the designation of the neotype but splits the superb bird-of-paradise into three species.
The genus contains three species:

Vogelkop lophorina, Lophorina superba
Greater lophorina, Lophorina latipennis
Lesser lophorina, ''Lophorina minor''

Description

All members sport a jet-black to black body found only in males, while their female counterparts sport brown upperparts with barred underparts; they have a relatively long to shortish, slender, crow-like bill, and various ornaments. All three species have a distinctive cape found on the nape that they push forward, an iridescent blue-green crown, and an iridescent blue-greenish breast shield that appears to be "smiling" and "frowning" that the males use to court females. When it comes to the courtship of the female lophorina, males tend to start crouching, showing a repeated display of their breast shield and an exaggerated downward movement to show their crown to the female. During a high intensity display, the male will also fan his nape cape, forming a semi-circle overhead, and around breast shield, all while hopping around the female. When in full display, the birds look like an otherworldly cartoon character with a fully black face, blue eyes, and blue mouth as they try their best to hop and dance around a potential mate.