There are 41 Birds of Paradise thought to have evolved from a crow-like ancestor that lived approximately 24 million years ago. Now they belong to the family Paradisaeidae, which includes more than 40 species, while crows and jays are part of the family Corvidae. Both families are part of the larger Corvoidea radiation within the passerine birds. Despite the shared ancestry, birds of paradise have evolved unique and striking characteristics, particularly in their plumage and mating rituals, which differ greatly from the more uniformly coloured crows. Birds of paradise are primarily found in the rainforests of Papua New Guinea, Eastern Indonesia and Eastern Australia, and mainly feed on fruit and some insects. The first bird of paradise to arrive in Europe was a skin that came to Spain in 1522. Many of the early skins were prepared by native hunters without wings or feet to better show off their spectacular plumage. Upon arrival in Europe, the apparent lack of wings and legs created the myth that these birds originated from paradise and floated high in the skies, only to fall down to earth after their death.
