What species of bird-of-paradise is depicted on the flag of Papua New Guinea?

The Raggiana bird-of-paradise is depicted on the flag of Papua New Guinea. Its golden silhouette appears soaring across the red upper half of the diagonally divided flag.

The species, Paradisaea raggiana, is also known as Count Raggi’s bird-of-paradise and is native to New Guinea. Males are famous for elaborate courtship displays involving colorful flank plumes, wing movements, and calls. The bird became Papua New Guinea’s national emblem in 1971 and remains the country’s national bird.

Papua New Guinea’s flag was adopted on July 1, 1971, after a nationwide design competition. Susan Karike Huhume, then a 15-year-old student, created the winning design. The black lower half contains the Southern Cross, linking Papua New Guinea to the Southern Hemisphere and neighboring Pacific countries.

The bird is often described simply as a “bird-of-paradise,” but the quiz asks for the species, making Raggiana the precise answer. It is not the greater, king, or Wilson’s bird-of-paradise. The flag’s bird also symbolizes tribal culture and the country’s emergence as a unified nation.