The magnificent bird-of-paradise is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Three subspecies are recognised:[2] This rather common species is widespread throughout a large range, in Indonesia, New Guinea and surrounding islands.

The head is fairly short; it is a light brown in a scalloped pattern on the top that extends to the back of the neck, and a darker reddish-brown on the face and below the chin.

The female is drastically different from the extravagant male; she is light-brown above, including the tail (which lacks the long sickles).

Here is where he does his display; he leans backwards to the point where his body is perpendicular to the sapling, raises his mantle cape, to where it appears like a yellow halo behind his head, expands and flexes his iridescent breast shield, and waggles his sickle-shaped tail on each side.

Though this performance is comical, it is often observed by many females nearby, who do not take the male mating with the core audience member too lightly.

[4][5] Typical of most of the bird-of-paradise family, the female takes up all parental duties, including nest-building, incubation, and chick-rearing.