Magnificent Riflebird

Sounds & Calls

Magnificent Riflebird (Ptiloris magnificus)
Magnificent Riflebird (Ptiloris magnificus)
Photo credit: 5213P / Shutterstock
The Magnificent Riflebird (Ptiloris magnificus) is a striking bird-of-paradise species found in Cape York, Australia, as well as the lowlands of western New Guinea. It inhabits lowland rainforest, gallery forest and monsoonal vine forest. Males are known for their elaborate courtship display, extending their wings into a black oval shape while swaying side to side to flash an iridescent blue-green breast shield.

What does a Magnificent Riflebird sound like? The song of the Magnificent Riflebird is a very loud, distinctive series of clear whistles. In Australia, these songs are usually given as creaky single or double wavering whistles, sounding similar to a person whistling to attract attention. In New Guinea the whistles are pure, deep and upslurred and usually given in phrases of 2-4 notes. These powerful sounds carry long distances through the rainforest. While displaying, the male also produces a distinctive “whoosh” sound as he moves his wings, a mechanical, non-vocal sound that adds to the drama of the performance.

Listen to examples of Magnificent Riflebird sounds below.

Listen to Magnificent Riflebird Calls

The video below features the sounds of a Magnificent Riflebird making its loud, rich whistling calls in a lowland rainforest in New Guinea.

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