As with other species of Parotia, the male is polygamous and performs spectacular courtship display in the forest ground.

The clutch contains 1, maybe occasionally 2 eggs; one that was studied was 38.4 x 27.8 mm in size (Mackay 1990).

A common species throughout its limited range, it is listed on Appendix II of CITES.

It differs in the male frontal crest's and the female's dorsal plumage colors.

The male has an iridescent golden green breast shield, elongated black plumes, three erectile spatule head-wires behind each blue iris eye and golden brown nasal tuft feathers.