The western or Arfak parotia is a medium-sized, approximately 33 cm long, bird-of-paradise with a medium-length tail. Parotia comes from the Greek parotis, a lock or curl of hair by the ear, alluding to the head wires. Like other birds-of-paradise, the western parotia is sexually dimorphic. The male has jet black plumage, with striking iridescent scale-like, golden-green breast shields and triangular silver feathers on its crown. The occipital plumes (or head wires) arise from above and behind the eyes, with three long, erectile wire-like plumes with smaller spatulate tips, above and behind each eye. As with most member in the family, the female is unadorned and has brown plumage. The species is similar to Lawes's parotia (Parotia lawesii ).

Scientific name: Parotia sefilata

Conservation status: Least Concern (Population stable)

Family: Paradisaeidae

Kingdom: Animalia