The specific epithet rudolphi was chosen to honour Archduke Rudolf Franz Karl Joseph, the Crown-Prince of Austria.

Arguably one of the most fabulous of its family, the blue bird-of-paradise is among the larger birds-of-paradise, being around 30 cm, or a little over a foot in length (excluding the long tail wires), rivaling some of the Paradisaea and Manucodia species.

Unlike the Paradisaea birds, the male is mostly glossy black overall with silver-white crescents surrounding the eyes (in both sexes).

The most brilliant and distinctive feature present on the male are the fine, silky elongated flank plumes that are mainly a dull amber colour on the surface; below, they are a light blue, based by two dark crimson lines on each side of the lower belly.

The blue bird-of-paradise is mainly a frugivorous species, feeding on a good variety of fruits like figs, drupes, and berries, but animal prey is also present in the diet; it not only includes insects, but also some vertebrates like reptiles.

But unlike most other birds of paradise species, he performs solitary on a preferably thin branch, while an attending female observes nearby.

His violet-blue plumes spread out in a fan, looking like an apron, swaying its body back and forth while the black wires form two impressive arches down to either side.