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The Sickle Billed Bird of Paradise.
(Epimachus meyeri.)
The Birds of Paradise of the Malay Archipelago, New Guinea and North Australia, notwithstanding their gorgeous and many-coloured plumage are cousins of the humble British Crow. There are many species, inhabiting as a rule, the tops of tall trees. At certain seasons the male birds assemble in groups to display their magnificent plumes, and frequently become the victims of native bird catchers who shoot them down with arrows. Some species have short beaks, slightly curved like that of the Crow, while others have long slender beaks. Fruit and seeds form their chief diet, but they also eat insects, snails, worms locusts and caterpillars.