Pale-billed sicklebill
species of bird
The pale-billed sicklebill (Drepanornis bruijnii) is a species of sicklebill that belongs to the family Paradisaeidae, which contains the birds-of-paradise.
Etymology
The scientific nomenclature, or name, of this species is Drepanornis bruijni, consisting of "Drepanornis", which means "sickle bird", that refers to the birds' sickle-shaped bill, and bruijni, which commemorates Antonie Augustus Bruijn, a Dutch plume merchant.
Description
Pale-billed sicklebills are on the more medium-sized side of the family Paradisaeidae; they seldom reach over 35 cm, or 13.7 inches, in length. They are among the least attractive birds-of-paradise, being a dull brownish-olive on their upperside, with a greyish-brown underside. Their heads are dark brown, and one of their most noticeable features are lead-grey bare facial patches surrounding each eye and covering most of the head; there are also two iridescent tufts rising above the head. Unlike their congener's bill, they have a pale, ivory-ish colored, downcurved bill. The ornaments present on the male are relatively extensive pectoral feathers in rows on the sides of the breast and belly. The pectoral feathers highest on the breast (on each side) are dark greyish with coppery red to reddish iridescent tips; the rest of the pectoral plumes on the sides have more of a greenish-copper iridescence to their tips.
The female of this species is, for the most part, similar to the male. She has no iridescent feathers, and is of lighter weight than the male.
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This entry incorporates text from “Pale-billed sicklebill” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.