A large bird of lowland and foothill forest and edge. Male has a black breast and white and yellow plumes which he raises above his back during his display, in which he variably hops about and flaps his wings, then holds them out still. May overlap slightly with Lesser and Emperor birds-of-paradise but male Greater is larger and lacks a yellow back. Female Greater is distinguished from other species by its all brown body. Male gives a typical, repeated nasal squawk.