Diet and Foraging

Mainly frugivorous; typically seen foraging in lower levels of forest strata, up to 25 m above ground but typically below 12 m. Exceptionally, has been recorded foraging in leaf litter.

Microhabitat for Foraging

Observed foraging in lower levels of forest (up to 25 m) but typically above 12 m (A. Rand in 26 Gilliard, E. T. (1969). Birds of Paradise and Bower Birds. Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London, UK. Close ). Observed feeding at ground level in leaf litter occasionally (36 Hoyle, M. A. (1975). Observations on birds of paradise/bower birds. New Guinea Bird Society Newsletter 110:6. Close ).

Food Capture and Consumption

Forages inconspicuously, usually alone but pairs and usually small groups have been observed (8 Frith, C. B., and B. M. Beehler (1998). The Birds of Paradise. Paradisaeidae. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Recorded as part of a feeding flock of 20‒30 individuals (including up to nine adult males), along with additional individuals of Loria's Satinbird (Cnemophilus loriae), Brown Sicklebill (Epimachus meyeri), and Ribbon-tailed Astrapia (Astrapia mayeri) (J. Tano in 8 Frith, C. B., and B. M. Beehler (1998). The Birds of Paradise. Paradisaeidae. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Also observed feeding in association with Lawes's Parotia (Parotia lawesii), Blue Bird-of-Paradise (Paradisornis rudolphi), Greater Lophorina (Lophorina latipennis), and Stephanie's Astrapia (Astrapia stephaniae), but once three individuals were displaced by a single Smoky Honeyeater (Melipotes fumigatus) (20 Forshaw, J. M., and W. T. Cooper (1977). The Birds of Paradise and Bower Birds. Collins, Sydney, Australia. Close , 6 Coates, B. J. (1990). The Birds of Papua New Guinea, Including the Bismarck Archipelago and Bougainville. Volume 2. Passerines. Dove Publications, Alderley, Queensland, Australia. Close , 2 Gregory, P. (2019). Birds of Paradise and Bowerbirds. Bloomsbury, London, UK. Close ). Birds observed feeding in the field consumed fruits <12 mm in diameter, swallowed whole without any prior manipulation in either the bill or feet, but larger fruits may sometimes be dissected prior to consumption (8 Frith, C. B., and B. M. Beehler (1998). The Birds of Paradise. Paradisaeidae. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ).

Major Food Items

Fecal samples from September‒October at the Tari Gap, in western Papua New Guinea (n = 19) almost completely comprised fruit, particularly relating to drupes and berries 3‒12 mm in diameter, including Zygogynum argentia, Timonius belensis, Riedelia sp., Rapanea sp., Acronychia kaindiensis, Schefflera sp., Xanthomyrtus sp., Ficus sp., Dimorphanthera alpinia, Alpinia spp., Garcinia sp., Elaeocarpus sp., and Syzygium sp. (19 Diamond, J. M. (1972). Avifauna of the Eastern Highlands of New Guinea. Publications of the Nuttall Ornithological Club 12. Cambridge, MA, USA. Close ). However, remnants of small mollusks <3 mm in diameter were detected in samples taken from three individuals (19 Diamond, J. M. (1972). Avifauna of the Eastern Highlands of New Guinea. Publications of the Nuttall Ornithological Club 12. Cambridge, MA, USA. Close , 8 Frith, C. B., and B. M. Beehler (1998). The Birds of Paradise. Paradisaeidae. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). The only other species of fruit specified in the diet is Symplocos cochinchinensis (37 Hicks, R. K. (1988). Feeding observations of female Crested Bird of Paradise. Muruk 3:15. Close ), but Gregory (2 Gregory, P. (2019). Birds of Paradise and Bowerbirds. Bloomsbury, London, UK. Close ) mentioned that the red fruits of certain gingers (Zingiberaceae) are favored food in some parts of the range. Nestling is fed solely with fruits (only Alpinia tephrochalmys identified) (occasional tiny shelled mollusk incidental) (33 Frith, C. B., and D. W. Frith (1993). Nidification of the Crested Bird of Paradise Cnemophilus macgregorii and a review of its biology and systematics. Emu 93(1):23–33. Close ).