| any of several passerine birds of the family Paradisaeidae, of New Guinea and adjacent islands, the males of which have ornate, colorful plumage. |
[burd-uhv-par-uh-dahys, -dahyz] 
| 1. | Also called bird-of-paradise flower. any of several plants of the genus Strelitzia, native to southern Africa, esp. S. reginae, having a large, showy orange and blue inflorescence. |
| 2. | a small tree or shrub, Caesalpinia (Poinciana) gilliesii, native to South America, having featherlike leaves and showy yellow flowers with red stamens. |
| the constellation Apus. |
| bird of paradise n. pl. birds of paradise
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