On a misty morning in the swamp forests of Papua, a male twelve-wired bird of paradise

On a misty morning in the swamp forests of Papua, a male twelve-wired bird of paradise

On a misty morning in the swamp forests of Papua, a male twelve-wired bird of paradise calls from his perch, his strange wire-like feathers protruding behind him.

And what does he use them for?

You'll see when the female arrives, as he turns to brush her face while she examines him.

Biologists don’t really know why female birds of paradise like this sort of stimulation, but it's all part of elaborate courtship rituals, evolved through the process of sexual selection in these remarkable birds.

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