Victoria's Riflebird

Lophorina victoriae

Photos of Adult Males

adult male - Queensland, Australia - September 2016

adult male - Queensland, Australia - September 2016

adult male - Queensland, Australia - September 2016

adult male displaying to a female - Queensland, Australia - September 2016

adult male - Queensland, Australia - October 2016

adult male - Queensland, Australia - October 2016

adult male - Queensland, Australia - October 2016

adult male - Queensland, Australia - October 2016

The photos above and below were taken almost a year apart but might as well have been 5 seconds apart. Same bird. Same perch. Very similar poses...

adult male - Queensland, Australia - November 2015

On one morning, while a male Riflebird was sitting on one of his favourite perches minding his own business, a male Cairns Birdwing came and repeatedly dive-bombed him! I've no idea what triggered such a reaction as I've never seen a butterfly attacking a bird before! One possible explanation is the greenish-blue irridescence on the crown of the Riflebird fooled the Birdwing into thinking it was a rival male butterfly and the dive-bombing was a territorial response.