Wilson's Bird-of-Paradise Perched Low Above Mossy Rock

A small bird clings to a thin vertical stem close to the forest floor, its body angled toward the right. The back is a block of saturated red and orange, with a bright yellow patch at the nape and a glossy black head. A pale blue crown with dark markings stands out against the dark plumage. Two curled, wire-like tail feathers loop out to the left in a bluish-grey spiral. Behind it, a weathered log, lichen-covered stone and a few dark twisting vines sit in muted greens, browns and greys, and the soft, shadowed light lets the bird's colours carry the frame.

Wilson's Bird-of-Paradise, Diphyllodes respublica, belongs to the Paradisaeidae family and is found only on the islands of Waigeo and Batanta in the Raja Ampat archipelago of West Papua, Indonesia. Males clear a patch of forest floor and display from low perches, showing off their colours to watching females. The curled tail wires and bare blue skull cap are distinctive features of the species. The wide landscape format and dark, uncluttered lower half suit desktop monitors well, leaving room for icons along the left edge and the bottom of the screen.

More like this: Snowy Owl in Low Flight Over Prairie and Snowy Owl Resting Among Gray Riprap Stones.