Bird of Paradise

Birds of Paradise are colorful birds found throughout The Gates but are most commonly seen in Tympi's Forest due to its warmer and frequently more humid biome.
The Writer saw these birds while traveling through Tympi's Forest and made note of them in this Field Guide entry: Birds of Paradise, Paper Birds, Dragon Pheonix. According to this entry, they are capable of taking both a bird and flower form.

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The Spiritual Travelers saw a group of three birds of paradise fly over their heads as they arrived in The Gates for the first time on Nurend 03, 308. Kaswink made note of it as a new creature, but it has yet to be fully analyzed or studdied in any meaningful capacity.
Kaswink was able to catch one of these animals as it transformed from a flower into its bird form. She was careful enough to not damage it, and placed it inside Hysteria's tent for safe keeping. It reverted to its flower form while in the dark and free from any stress, but Kaswink was able to re-awaken it and bring it to DAN when they returned to camp. DAN has since been studying the creature's flower form.

Basic Information

Anatomy

After watching them transform, Kaswink has now seen how the flower petals, leaves and stems all become parts of a bird. It was noted that, as a flower, the species has no noticable animal traits, and, as a bird, its petals and leaves are identical to bird parts with no vegetation.
Kaswink also noted that the flower form does have roots, though these are not visible at all when it transforms into a bird.
The ability to transform into a bird appears to be a fight-or-flight mechanism so that the flower can escape danger.

Biological Traits

Birds of Paradise have small green bodies, about half a foot long on average, with long, colorful tail feathers.
For male Birds of Paradise, these tail feathers are always four times the length of their body and usually come in groups of five with each feather being a different color. These colors are most vibrant at the ends of the feather where it forms an "eye" similar to a peacock though a bit more streteched out and rotated 90 degrees. The colors then fade from this eye to the main body of the bird with a smooth transition between the unique feather color and green.

When in their flower state, their tail feathers are wrapped up and around the body forming pedals.
For female Birds of Paradise, their tail feathers are much shorter and instead their color comes from the long feathers that drape from their wings and resemble pedals with similar elongated eye markings as the male's tail feathers. These colors are, again, brightest at the "eye" and transition into the main green color of the body.
When in their flower state, their wings fold up and around them forming pedals.

Genetics and Reproduction

Which came first, the Flower or the Bird?
Birds of Paradise reproduce and grow as flowers. This means that they are polinated by certain species that make contact with them and spread their polen from place to place. After polination their seeds eventually fall and begin to grow into new Birds of Paradise. This means that the answer to the age old question is that the flower came first and eventually transforms for the first time into a bird before taking off for its first flight.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Birds of Paradise consume small insects and seeds while in their bird form and are capable of photosynthesis in their flower state.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

In The Field Guide, The Writer mentions in a small note that the flower of a Bird of Paradise can be used in an infusion that helps with focus.