Instagram | @janvandergreef

Wilson's Bird Of Paradise Looks Like A Piece Of Modern Art

Most of the birds I feature here have some sort of unique beauty worth appreciating, and this bird called Wilson's Bird of Paradise definitely falls in that category.

But it's also super weird.

For one thing, that blue "hat" on its head? That's bare skin.

Instagram | @ackclou

Yeah, these guys don't have feathers on their head and the iridescent blue sheen is so bright that it can be seen clearly at night. Its feet are also bright blue.

Add in the strong black outlines and primary colors, and these birds have a particularly strong modern art feel.

The two curly tail feathers are just icing on the very strange cake.

Wilson's Bird of Paradise is named after ornithologist Edward Wilson, who found one of the first specimens.

Instagram | @alsanwildlife

They are only found on two islands off West Papua, Weigeo and Batanta, and the first known video footage ever taken of them was by David Attenborough in 1996.

Though it was clear that they have a unique mating display, it wasn't until even later that we got a good look at it.

And it's *wild*.

Instagram | @timlaman

While the male birds appear to have all-black bellies, the feathers actually shine an incandescent green. During their mating ritual, the males spread out their upper chest feathers like a big ruff to display the green to the ladies.

From the side, it just gives the male a very strange shape, but from the view of the female it's spectacular. And also very strange.

In some images, they barely even look like birds.

Instagram | @takanagaphotogallery

Wilson's Bird of Paradise definitely looks like something descended from a dinosaur. A fabulous one.

h/t: BirdLife International, BBC

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