Breeding history and husbandry of the Superb Bird-of-paradise (Lophorina superba)

Abstract

The Superb Bird-of-paradise (Lophorina superba) has been bred in captivity for more than 50 years but has not been well documented. San Diego Zoo began efforts to breed the Superb Bird-of-paradise in the late 1960s. Through the years, behavioral observations by animal staff have led to improvements in husbandry techniques which have led to increased reproductive success. Enclosure setup and pair management are particularly important. The ability to maintain breeding pairs in adjacent enclosures, in which the male can maintain visual contact with the female, establish a territory, be given access to a female for copulation and then be separated again has proven paramount for nesting success. Additionally, diet and planned timing of introduction have played a beneficial role for successful breeding year after year.

Keywords: captive breeding; nesting; zoos.