Queen Carola's Parotia (Parotia carolae) [XC823393]
by Iain Woxvold from Oksapmin New Road Km 45, Star Mountains Rural LLG (near Mangasimivip), North Fly District, Western Province, Papua New Guinea (call)
Queen Carola's Parotia (Parotia carolae) [XC561242]
by id from Bilbilokabip, Ok Tedi headwaters, Western Province, Papua New Guinea (call?)
Subspecies
Forms a superspecies with Parotia berlepschi, previously treated as conspecific. Intergeneric hybridization with Superb Bird-of-paradise (Lophorina superba) recorded. Females of the two exhibit parallel geographical variation, one explanation being that smaller Superb Bird-of-paradise (Lophorina superba) mimics larger and more aggressive present species.
The following 5 subspecies are recognised:
carolae Meyer, 1894 - Weyland Mts east to Wissel Lakes (Paniai) region, in western New Guinea.
meeki Rothschild, 1910 - Snow Mts, from east of Wissel Lakes and south of Doorman Mts (northern scarp facing Mamberamo R), east to central New Guinea (around western edge of Victor Emanuel Range).
chalcothorax Stresemann, 1934 - Doorman Mts, just south of Idenburg R (Taritatu R), in western New Guinea.
chrysenia Stresemann, 1934 - Northern scarp of central Cordillera, including Lordberg, Hunstein Mts and probably Schrader Range, also northern scarp of Bismarck Range, in eastern New Guinea.
clelandiae Gilliard, 1961 - From central New Guinea south-eastern probably to southern watershed of eastern Highlands (eastern at least to Crater Mt).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet