Western Parotia Parotia sefilata
Western Parotia Parotia sefilata
Location: West Papua (Illegally occupied by Indonesia)
Found exclusively in the montane forests of the Vogelkop Peninsula and Wandammen Mountains in Indonesian-occupied West Papua, this species is confined to isolated pockets of ancient, cloud-draped rainforest.
The Western Parotia Parotia sefilata, also called the Arfak Parotia, is a stunning bird-of-paradise of #WestPapua known for their mesmerising, ballerina-like courtship dance. Male #birds fan their iridescent flank plumes into a skirt and dazzle females with precise steps and shimmering throat shields. Although listed as Least Concern in 2016, this designation is dangerously outdated. The forests these rare birds call home have suffered catastrophic #deforestation in recent years due to the explosion of #palmoil plantations. These once-pristine regions are now fragmented and rapidly vanishing. Immediate action is needed to protect the Western Parotia from becoming the next victim of extinction.#BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
Unusual behaviours like mounting reveal complexity to the lives of Western #Parotia, thrilling #birds of paradise in #WestPapua. #Palmoil is a major threat. Fight for them and indigenous peoples #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect palmoildetectives.com/2026/01/…
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With jet black plumage 🖤 and bright green 💚 wattles, male Western Parotia #birds 🐦🦜🦚 of paradise gleam like scaly armour when they dance 🎶 Resist against their #extinction in #WestPapua when you #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect palmoildetectives.com/2026/01/…
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Appearance & Behaviour
Male Western Parotias are instantly recognisable by their jet-black plumage, metallic green wattles that gleam like scaled armour, and three distinctive wire-like head plumes that curl outward from each side of the crown—features that inspired the species name, derived from the Latin sex filum, meaning ‘six threads.’ A dazzling inverted silver triangle on their head flashes during display, perfectly offset by their elegant black flank plumes which form a flared skirt in courtship. Females are more subdued, clad in streaky brown feathers, allowing them to blend into the forest understorey.
This species of bird-of-paradise is polygynous. Males gather in exploded leks—loosely spaced display grounds—where they clear leaf-littered forest floors to create courts. On these makeshift stages, they perform intricate displays to attract females, combining pirouettes, head bobs, feather shimmers, and rapid shakes. A 2024 behavioural study also observed rare alternative mating tactics, including homosexual mounting and sneak copulation attempts by female-plumaged birds, suggesting untapped behavioural complexity (MacGillavry et al., 2024).
Threats
The Western Parotia is officially listed as Least Concern, but this 2016 classification dangerously underrepresents their current reality. Since that assessment, massive deforestation for timber and palm oil has devastated much of their limited range, particularly across the Vogelkop Peninsula and Wandammen Mountains. The threats are mounting and accelerating due to the following drivers:
Palm oil deforestation
Large-scale clearing of primary rainforest to make way for industrial palm oil plantations is now rampant across the Bird’s Head (Vogelkop) Peninsula. Even remote montane forests where Western Parotias lek and nest are not safe, as new roads are cut to expand plantation frontiers.
Timber deforestation
Commercial timber extraction is removing centuries-old forest giants that the Western Parotia depends on for fruit, foraging and nesting. Logging roads also fragment habitat, increase fire risk, and provide access to previously undisturbed ecosystems.
Deforestation for mining, rubber and infrastructure projects
Government-backed agribusiness schemes are encouraging monocultures such as oil palm and rubber, which completely erase the forest understory and tree canopy vital for the Parotia’s food and shelter.
Mining concessions in West Papua—often enforced with military support—are rapidly opening up forests in the Wandammen Mountains, overlapping with the Parotia’s habitat. Road construction to access mines and plantations is fragmenting the landscape irreparably.
Climate change-induced extreme weather
The species is restricted to highland forest. As temperatures rise and human pressures encroach from below, their montane habitat may shrink to mountaintop fragments, leaving no room for retreat.
Colonial exploitation, military conflict and suppression of Indigenous land rights:
Indigenous Melanesians have stewarded Papuan forests for millennia. Today, state and corporate projects continue to override Indigenous consent, leading to ecological destruction and social injustice hand-in-hand.
These combined threats pose a serious and immediate danger to the survival of the Western Parotia. Without urgent action to halt deforestation and recognise Indigenous land sovereignty, the species could slide rapidly toward extinction unnoticed.
Geographic Range
Western Parotias are found exclusively in the montane and submontane rainforests of the Vogelkop Peninsula and the Wandammen Mountains in West Papua. They are forest specialists, requiring old-growth rainforest to support their complex courtship behaviour and nesting needs. Since their last assessment in 2016, widespread forest loss has occurred across these regions, particularly from illegal logging and palm oil expansion, putting their long-term survival in serious jeopardy.
Diet
Western Parotias primarily feed on fruits—especially figs—and supplement their diet with arthropods. Their foraging occurs at various forest levels, but they prefer mid-canopy and understorey, where fruiting trees and insect-rich foliage are abundant.
Mating and Reproduction
Courtship and nesting behaviour are marked by sexual division of labour. Only the female builds the nest and raises the chick. Nests are often camouflaged in dense foliage. Although the precise breeding season remains unclear, it is believed to vary by elevation and fruiting cycles. Male courtship is heavily influenced by evolutionary modularity in display traits, which have diverged over time, giving rise to the extravagant variety seen across the Parotia genus (Scholes, 2008).
FAQs
How many Western Parotias are left in the wild?
There are no exact population estimates for the Western Parotia. The IUCN has classified them as Least Concern, but this was based on assessments from 2016. Since then, vast tracts of their habitat have been lost. Without a recent survey, the current population trend is unknown, but it is likely decreasing due to ongoing deforestation (BirdLife International, 2016).
How long do Western Parotias live?
In the wild, birds-of-paradise often live between 5 to 10 years, though lifespan data for this species is limited. In captivity, related species have reached over 15 years, but no long-term studies exist for Parotia sefilata specifically.
What challenges do conservationists face protecting this species?
Conservation of the Western Parotia is complicated by a lack of recent data and the remoteness of their habitat. The Vogelkop and Wandammen regions are undergoing rapid transformation due to illegal logging and palm oil expansion, often facilitated by state-backed infrastructure projects. These forests also fall within contested indigenous lands, and conservation solutions must be rooted in indigenous sovereignty to be effective.
Is the Western Parotia affected by the exotic pet trade?
Unlike parrots and smaller songbirds, Western Parotias are not commonly targeted for the exotic pet trade, likely due to their remote habitat and specialised diet. However, increased accessibility due to road construction could change this. It is essential to remain vigilant and oppose any wildlife trafficking.
Take Action!
Use your wallet as a weapon to stop extinction by boycotting palm oil. Always choose products that are 100% palm oil-free to avoid contributing to the deforestation that is pushing the Western Parotia closer to extinction. Support indigenous-led conservation efforts in West Papua and call for greater transparency around the spread of monoculture plantations. Protect the mesmerising courtship rituals of these remarkable birds by fighting to keep their forests standing. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat
Support the Western Parotia by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife
Support the conservation of this species
This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.
Further Information
BirdLife International. (2016). Parotia sefilata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T22706181A93913206. Retrieved 6 April 2025, from iucnredlist.org/species/227061…
MacGillavry, T., Janiczek, C., & Fusani, L. (2024). Video evidence of mountings by female-plumaged birds of paradise (Aves: Paradisaeidae) in the wild: Is there evidence of alternative mating tactics? Ethology. doi.org/10.1111/eth.13451
Scholes, E. (2008). Evolution of the courtship phenotype in the bird of paradise genus Parotia (Aves: Paradisaeidae): homology, phylogeny, and modularity. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 94(3), 491–504. doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.20…
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Western parotia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 6 April 2025, from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_…
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Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture
Global
South America
S.E. Asia
India
Africa
West Papua & PNG
Capped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus
Mountain Tapir Tapirus pinchaque
Saola Pseudoryx nghetinhensis
Tucuxi Sotalia fluviatilis
Frill-Necked Lizard Chlamydosaurus kingii
Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum
Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing
Read more about RSPO greenwashing
Lying
Fake labels
Indigenous Land-grabbing
Human rights abuses
Deforestation
Human health hazards
A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)
#animals #Bird #birds #Birdsong #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottMeat #BoycottPalmOil #deforestation #EndSongbirdTrade #extinction #ForgottenAnimals #FreeWestPapua #gold #goldMining #hunting #indigenous #military #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #Parotia #poaching #songbird #songbirds #vegan #vulnerable #VulnerableSpecies #WestPapua #WesternParotiaParotiaSefilata #WestPapua
Capped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus
Capped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus
IUCN Red List Status: VulnerableLocation: India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar
This species inhabits subtropical and tropical dry forests, primarily in the foothills and highlands south of the Brahmaputra River and across fragmented patches in northeastern South Asia.
The capped #langur (Trachypithecus pileatus) is a graceful and beautiful leaf #monkey found across northeastern #India, #Bhutan, #Bangladesh, and #Myanmar. Sadly, they are listed as #Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List due to rapid population declines from #deforestation, logging, agriculture, and the devastating impacts of #palmoil plantations. Once widespread, their numbers have nearly halved in some regions like Assam due to the accelerating loss of native forest cover. Directly threatened by palm oil and monoculture expansion, this species is now confined to small, isolated forest fragments. Take action every time you shop and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4WildlifeIn the forests of #Bangladesh 🇧🇩 and northern #India 🇮🇳 lives a remarkable #primate with soulful hazel eyes 🐵🐒 on the verge of #extinction from #palmoil #deforestation. Help the Capped #Langur and #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🔥🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect palmoildetectives.com/2026/01/…
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Share to TwitterThe intelligent and social Capped #Langur 🙉🐒🐵 is under pressure from #palmoil #deforestation and hunting in #India 🇮🇳 Troops are interbreeding with Phayre’s #langurs to survive. Fight for them and #Boycottpalmoil 🌴☠️❌ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect palmoildetectives.com/2026/01/…
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With their black-tufted crown, pale fur, and soulful eyes, capped langurs are among the most visually distinctive primates in the Eastern Himalayas. Their fur ranges from silver-grey to golden orange, with darker limbs and a black cap that gives them their name. They move gracefully through the canopy, rarely descending to the forest floor except for play or social grooming.Capped langurs live in unimale, multifemale groups with sizes ranging from 8 to 15 individuals. They spend most of their time feeding (up to 67%) or resting (up to 40%), engaging in complex social grooming and vocal communication. Daily movements range from 320–800 metres across fragmented habitats of 21–64 hectares. Grooming is an important social activity, with females often taking turns in allomothering behaviour.
Threats
Palm oil, teak and rubber monoculture plantations
The spread of oil palm and other monoculture crops such as teak and rubber is destroying the capped langur’s native forests at an alarming rate. These industrial plantations eliminate the diverse tree species that capped langurs rely on for food and shelter, leaving them with little to survive on. Once a landscape is cleared and replaced with palm oil or other single crops, it becomes a green desert devoid of biodiversity, pushing the species closer to extinction. In regions like Assam and Bangladesh, palm oil is a major driver of habitat fragmentation and degradation, especially in forest corridors that once connected populations.Timber deforestation
Widespread illegal logging, often fuelled by demand for timber and firewood, is rapidly eroding the capped langur’s habitat. Fruiting and lodging trees that are vital to their survival are cut down, leaving forests patchy and disconnected. As their home ranges shrink, capped langur groups are forced into smaller fragments, increasing their vulnerability to predators, food shortages, and inbreeding. In some areas, this pressure has led to local extinctions or the collapse of entire populations.Slash-and-burn agriculture
Slash-and-burn agriculture destroys habitat for capped langurs and often brings them into closer contact with human settlements, increasing conflict and risk of hunting or roadkill. Forest recovery from this can take decades—time the capped langur simply doesn’t have.Hunting and the illegal pet trade
Capped langurs are hunted for their meat, pelts, and for sale in the illegal pet trade. In many tribal and rural areas of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Manipur, they are still targeted despite legal protections. Their pelts are used to make traditional knife sheaths, and infants are often captured after killing their mothers, then sold as pets. This exploitation causes severe suffering and has a devastating impact on group structures, leading to long-term population decline.Roads cut into rainforests for mines and tea plantations
As forests are cut into smaller patches for roads, mining, tea plantations, and settlements, capped langur populations become increasingly isolated. Small, disconnected populations face higher risks of inbreeding, loss of genetic diversity, and eventual extinction. In some regions, such as Tinsukia and Sonitpur, populations have already disappeared due to this fragmentation. The collapse of corridors also disrupts daily movement, feeding patterns, and access to mates—placing enormous stress on surviving individuals.Hybridisation with other species
Due to the rapid degradation of natural habitats, capped langurs are increasingly forming mixed-species groups with the closely related Phayre’s langur (Trachypithecus phayrei). Recent studies in northeast Bangladesh confirm genetically that hybridisation is occurring, which could result in the eventual cyto-nuclear extinction of the capped langur lineage. Although hybridisation can happen naturally, in this case it is being driven by human-induced fragmentation, forcing species into overlapping territories with fewer options for mates. This phenomenon is both a symptom and a driver of their decline, complicating conservation efforts.Mining, infrastructure, and political conflict
Open-cast coal mining, limestone extraction, and petroleum exploration have all contributed to the destruction of capped langur habitat across Assam and Nagaland. Infrastructure projects, such as highways and border fences, not only destroy habitat directly but also block animal movements and isolate populations. In border regions, armed conflict and territorial skirmishes have already extirpated capped langurs from several reserves, such as the Nambhur and Rengma forests. Weak law enforcement allows habitat destruction to continue unchecked in many regions.Geographic Range
Capped langurs are found in northeastern India (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura), Bhutan, northwestern Myanmar, and northeastern and central Bangladesh. They occur at elevations from 10 to 3,000 metres across hill forests, riverine reserves, and protected areas. However, their range is now severely fragmented by human development, with some populations disappearing from former strongholds due to mining, conflict, and agricultural encroachment.Diet
Primarily folivorous, the capped langur’s diet includes mature and young leaves, petioles, seeds, flowers, bamboo shoots, bark, and occasionally caterpillars. They forage on more than 43 plant species, with favourites including banyan (Ficus benghalensis), sacred fig (Ficus religiosa), Terminalia bellerica, and Mallotus philippensis. Seasonal availability influences their feeding patterns, but they consistently prefer fruiting and flowering trees.Mating and Reproduction
Breeding usually occurs in the dry season, with birthing concentrated between late December and May. The gestation period lasts about 200 days, and the interbirth interval is approximately two years. Only parous females participate in allomothering, allowing new mothers time to forage and recover, a behaviour rare among langurs and considered a form of altruism.FAQs
How many capped langurs are left in the wild?Exact numbers are uncertain, but estimates suggest the population in Assam has declined from 39,000 in 1989 to approximately 18,600 between 2008 and 2014 (Choudhury, 2014). This halving reflects habitat loss and increasing fragmentation, particularly in Upper Assam and the Barak Valley.
What is the average lifespan of a capped langur?
While data is limited, langurs of this genus generally live 20–25 years in the wild. Captive lifespans may extend slightly due to the absence of predators and constant food supply, though such conditions often lead to stress.
Why are capped langurs under threat?
Their decline is due to relentless deforestation, palm oil and monoculture plantations, illegal logging, and road-building. Slash-and-burn agriculture and mining also play a major role. Capped langurs are hunted in some regions for meat, pelts, and as pets, particularly in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland.
Do capped langurs make good pets?
Absolutely not. Capped langurs are intelligent, social beings that rely on complex forest habitats and close-knit family groups. Removing them from the wild fuels extinction and causes immense trauma. Many die during illegal capture and transport. Keeping them as pets is a selfish act that destroys lives. If you care about capped langurs, never support the exotic pet trade!
What are the major conservation challenges for capped langurs?
The biggest issues are hybridisation with other primate species, habitat fragmentation, palm oil expansion, and human-wildlife conflict. The 2018 study in Satchari National Park found that local attitudes toward conservation vary by occupation, education, and gender, which means education and outreach are crucial. A big challenge is the rise in hybridisation with sympatric Phayre’s langurs, driven by habitat degradation—this poses long-term genetic risks (Ahmed et al., 2024).
Take Action!
Capped langurs are vanishing before our eyes, driven to the brink by out-of-control palm oil expansion, deforestation, and development. You can help save them.Refuse to buy products made with palm oil. Support indigenous-led conservation in northeast India and the Eastern Himalayas. Demand governments halt the destruction of old-growth forests and restore wildlife corridors. Spread awareness and challenge the illegal wildlife trade. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat
Support the Capped Langur by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife
Support the conservation of this species
This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.Further Information
Ahmed, T., Hasan, S., Nath, S., Biswas, S., et al. (2024). Mixed-Species Groups and Genetically Confirmed Hybridization Between Sympatric Phayre’s Langur (Trachypithecus phayrei) and Capped Langur (T. pileatus) in Northeast Bangladesh. International Journal of Primatology, 46(1), 210–228. doi.org/10.1007/s10764-024-004…Das, J., Chetry, D., Choudhury, A.U., & Bleisch, W. (2020). Trachypithecus pileatus (errata version published in 2021). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T22041A196580469. dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.202…
Hasan, M.A.U., & Neha, S.A. (2018). Group size, composition and conservation challenges of capped langur (Trachypithecus pileatus) in Satchari National Park, Bangladesh. Retrieved from researchgate.net/publication/3…
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Capped langur. Retrieved April 6, 2025, from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capped_l…
How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?
Take Action in Five Ways
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
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2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez
Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings
Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao
Health Physician Dr Evan Allen
The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert
How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy
3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status…
twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status…
twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1…
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture
Global
South America
S.E. Asia
India
Africa
West Papua & PNG
Mountain Tapir Tapirus pinchaque
Saola Pseudoryx nghetinhensis
Tucuxi Sotalia fluviatilis
Frill-Necked Lizard Chlamydosaurus kingii
Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum
Ecuadorean Viscacha Lagidium ahuacaense
Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing
Read more about RSPO greenwashing
Lying
Fake labels
Indigenous Land-grabbing
Human rights abuses
Deforestation
Human health hazardsA 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)
#animals #Assam #Bangladesh #Bantrophyhunting #Bhutan #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottMeat #BoycottPalmOil #CappedLangurTrachypithecusPileatus #deforestation #extinction #ForgottenAnimals #humanWildlifeConflict #hunting #illegalPetTrade #India #langur #Langurs #mining #monkey #monkeys #Myanmar #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #PhayreSLeafMonkeyTrachypithecusPhayrei #poaching #Primate #vegan #vulnerable #VulnerableSpecies
