AnnuAl RepoRt to membeRs | 2012 - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

World Premiere for an Epic Quest:Birds—of—paradiseEight years. 18 expeditions. 544 days inthe field, in the rugged, remote junglesof New Guinea. An epic quest—to collectvisual documentation of all 39 species of thereclusive, resplendent birds-of-paradise…forthe first time, ever.Cornell Lab scientist Edwin Scholespartnered with National Geographic photographerTim Laman to study and documentthe breeding displays and behaviors of thesefantastically plumed birds. They returnedfrom New Guinea with tens of thousands ofphotos and more than 2,000 video clips thatwere archived into the Cornell Lab’s MacaulayLibrary. It’s a monumental accomplishment,considering the best visual evidenceof some of these species previously werepaintings of museum specimens.“What started out as a fascination forthe birds-of-paradise and curiosity aboutexploring New Guinea evolved into an unprecedentedopportunity to fill a gap in thedocumentation of the planet’s biodiversity,”said Scholes.The male Ribbon-tailed Astrapia’s tail measures three feet.Photo by Tim Laman.