Asian Paradise-flycatcher

In the shadow of a large Cinnamon tree, I placed my hide temporarily and waited for anything with feathers. This clueless Rufous Paradise Flycatcher male came to me, closer than what I expected. For my 100-300 mm lens, I had to recompose diagonally to accommodate his long streamers.




I always wondered how it flies with such long tail feathers and often awe struck when I think about how it catches its prey on the fly, while negotiating effortlessly among numerous interlacing branches. Looking at this picture now, I realized I've had a couple of pictures of the same bird, taken few days before. After I retrieved those less detailed pictures shot from a distance, I sensed an opportunity to portray this magnificent bird's flight path. I downloaded Photomatix trial version and blended two hand held exposures to get this picture.

The bird perching on that small branch is blended twice. The "shadow" diving bird to the left shows how it could launch from its upright position clearing its long tail like in a Fosbury flop.



Distribution of Asian Paradise-flycatcher