"And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air." Gen. 2:19.
There are more than 40 species of birds of paradise. Each is so outstandingly beautiful that when the explorer Magellan first took some back to Spain the people said they were so grand they could only have come from paradise, and that's how they got that name.
It takes a male five or six years to get his mature plumage, but once he has it, the use of his feathers in courting a female companion is very important to him. The female, incidentally, is not decorated in such colors, but this is a wise provision of the Creator, for in her drab feathers she is not easily spotted by enemies that would like to get her.
Birds of paradise live all the way from sea level to some 6000 feet high in New Guinea, Australia and a few South Sea islands. The males have the most extraordinary plumage of any bird in the world. Usually these birds nest in trees, often near the very top, and generally lay just two eggs. When these hatch out, they become the full responsibility of the mother, as by then the father bird has flown away to find another companion. Only on rare occasions does one of the father birds help a little in feeding the young ones. This behavior is disappointing to bird lovers, most of whom appreciate it when both parents share responsibilities and are loyal to each other.
The diet of these birds includes fruit, berries, seeds, insects, frogs and reptiles. These birds are rather stout and heavy-billed and vary from the size of a robin to that of a crow (long plumes and "wires" not included).
Noted for their loud, clear calls that can be heard for quite a distance, as well as their pretty coloring, they have been given a wide variety of feathering among the different species—one special decoration being a pair of wire-like tendrils anchored to their backs and extending out in odd ways two or three feet past their tails. Also, beneath the wings of some, are long, delicate plumes in contrasting colors, or sometimes in pure white, that can be raised and spread out like a cape over their bodies.
All plainly show the pleasure of the Lord God in creating so many beautiful varieties of these birds, as well as untold others that have obeyed His command and multiplied throughout the entire earth. There are many that have never been seen by men, but the eye of their Creator is always on them. Some of the ones that are known will be described in the next article.