Narrator: Shape shifting. 这里有百变神君
Color shaking. 彩霞仙子
Dancing, singing, dazzling, 还有舞王，麦霸，玩杂耍的
Sex crazed transformers. 和性饥渴的巨无霸
The fabled birds of paradise. 这里是传说中的天堂鸟（又叫极乐鸟，风鸟）
Cut off from the modern world, virtually unknown. 这里曾经与现代人类社会隔绝，无人知晓
Until two modern day explorers set out 直到两位现代探险家来到这里
On a decade-long quest. 进行了一场历经十年的考察
Tim laman: We have to try to outsmart them. 蒂姆·拉曼：我们必须得超过他们
Ed scholes: If we succeed in getting the moment of 艾德·斯科尔斯：如果我们能拍到xx
Transformation that's gonna be the holy grail. 那真是碉堡了
Narrator: A quest to find and photograph all 这次探索发现并用影像记录了
39 species of these spectacular creatures. 39种当地的鸟类
Tim laman: Kind of a narrow spot 蒂姆·拉曼：从这里下去
To get through here. 这块地方有点小
Narrator: And to capture some never-before-seen 采集到了一些从未见过的种类
Firsts for science. 是科学研究的绝佳对象
Tim laman: No way! 蒂姆·拉曼：不是吧？！
Narrator: National geographic photographer 国家地理摄影师
Tim laman and cornell university ornithologist 蒂姆·拉曼和康奈尔大学鸟类学者
Ed scholes have travelled the jungles of 艾德·斯科尔斯在新几内亚的
New guinea for nearly a decade. 丛林里探索了将近十年
It's an assignment turned obsession. 从开始的一项任务变成后来的爱好
A search for one of nature's holy grails, 寻找自然界中的公主
Images of every species of this 拍摄下这些华贵家族的
Flamboyant family of birds. 成员的肖像
Iridescent feathers, outlandish shapes, 它们有的长着荧光羽毛，有的有奇异的体型
Precision choreography, extreme ornamentation, 有曼妙的舞姿，令人惊叹的装饰物
Cacophonous flapping, male birds of paradise 还有莫名其妙的动作
Whose adaptations have only one purpose, 雄性鸟类搞出这么多花样的原因只有一个
To attract a mate. 那就是吸引雌性
New guinea, where birds of paradise live, 新几内亚，天堂鸟的栖息地
Is one of the most remote places on earth. 地球上最偏远的地区之一
Tim and ed have taken over 20 expeditions to more 蒂姆和艾德对五十多个地区
Than 50 field sites, suffered countless days in 进行了二十多次考察，无数次
The rain-soaked jungle and one burst appendix. 被大雨浇透，一个人还犯了一次急性阑尾炎
They've survived it all, plus dubious flights, 他们都挺过来了，另外还乘坐过很不靠谱的飞机
Perilous boat rides, grueling hikes. 险象环生的小船，经历过令人筋疲力尽的徒步穿越
Tim laman: Here's where we go left. 蒂姆·拉曼：看来只能走这边了
Narrator: And the jungle pulsing 丛林中也时不时出现
With poisonous life. 各种有毒的生物
Tim laman: You gotta keep your eye out for them. 蒂姆：你得小心提防它们
So when you're bashing through the forest you 当你扒开枝叶开路的时候
Gotta pay attention or you might end up with 要小心别把这个东西
One of these on your face. 弄到你脸上
Narrator: They've filmed a lot of birds but they 他们已经拍摄了很多种鸟
Still have a few adventures left on their 但是，在计划清单上，
Birds of paradise bucket list. 还有未完成的探索目标
Their first target, the wahne's parotia is a 瓦氏六线极乐鸟是他们要寻找的第一个目标
Creature that transforms from bird to ballerina in 这种鸟可以
The blink of an eye. 一秒钟变芭蕾舞女
They live way up in the saruwaged mountains. 他们生活在萨鲁瓦吉德群山中
Tim laman: Getting into this location has turned 蒂姆：进入这个地区
Into a bit of a transportation nightmare 就像是一场噩梦
In the last few days. 在这过去几天中
Ed scholes: The plane that we were counting on flying 艾德：我们本来打算指望乘一架小飞机进来
In on had a small incident at an airstrip 但飞机在跑道上出了点问题
And had a crash landing. 不得不紧急着陆
Tim laman: So we decided to go with 蒂姆：所以我们决定
The helicopter option. 乘坐直升飞机进去
Narrator: When they finally do take to the 最后，当他们升空之后
Air, they'll be heading for a landing pad 他们面临的下一个问题是找到着陆点
They're not even sure exists. 还不知道有没有着陆点呢
Ed scholes: So we have no idea whether it's 艾德：所以我们一点谱也没有
Even a helipad that a helicopter can land on. 能不能找到一个区域来降落
Narrator: They can only safely fly 他们只能在
In clear weather. 天气好的时候飞行
Ed scholes: Mountains here are really, really steep. 艾德：这里的山实在是太陡峭了
Some of these ridges are over 6,000 feet. 一些山脊超过6000英尺高
No pilot in papua new guinea flies 在巴布亚新几内亚，没有飞行员可以在
When you can't see. 能见度极低的时候飞行
Narrator: Fortunately, the next day breaks clear. 幸运的是，第二天就放晴了
They're flying into one of the least 他们飞往地球上人类探索最少的地方之一
Explored places on earth, from the air there 从空中看，
Isn't a road in sight. 地面上没有一条路
Tim laman: Wow, what a day compared to yesterday. 蒂姆：哇哦，这天气跟昨天比起来真是天壤之别
Narrator: Birds of paradise are also 天堂鸟们同样是
Cut off from the world. 与世隔绝的
The definitive field guides have countless 在当地的野外工作指南上，有无数的条目
Entries that read, simply "unknown." 后面的注解是：未知
Tim and ed are filling in the blanks. 蒂姆和艾德完善了不少空白
Tim laman: It's not so much just being the first, 蒂姆：成为第一个（探索那些地方）并没有什么大不了的
But just the fact that it hasn't been done. 问题的关键是之前没有人去做
This group of birds hadn't been 这个种群的鸟类
Documented in the wild. 之前并没有被文献记载
Ed scholes: They're a biological 艾德：它们是这个世界
Wonder of the world. 的生命奇迹
It's like, "why the great pyramids? 就像是，“为什么会有金字塔？”
Why machu picchu?" “马丘比丘古城是如何建成的？”
It's like the avian equivalent of 在这里看到这些鸟是类似的感觉，
Looking at animal life on another planet. 就像是在观察来自另一个星球的生物
Narrator: Or perhaps from many planets, 或者说来自很多不同星球的生物
Each species more incredible than the next. 令人不可思议的物种一个接一个，总会有更令人吃惊的出现
Parotia are famous for the intricacy 六线风鸟属的鸟类因为它们
Of their dancing. 曼妙复杂的舞姿而闻名
Their choreography is part riverdance, 它们的舞蹈有踢踏舞的元素
Part ocd, this one, carola's parotia, 又有点像强迫症。而这只白胁六线风鸟
Draws an endless "figure 8" in the air. 不停地在空中做8字形舞动
Strange, but the females seem to like it. 很怪异，但是雌鸟喜欢
Deciphering what the male's behavior means to 破译雄鸟动作对于雌鸟的含义的过程
The females is like learning another language; 类似于学习另一门语言
This mission is all about cracking the code 这项工作的主要内容就是
Of the wahne's display. 破解瓦氏六线风鸟的动作密码
Ed scholes: Real excited to be back, 艾德：再次回到这里很令人兴奋
To see this species of parotia. 又能看到这些六线风鸟了
I spent so many years studying them 我用了很多年来研究它们
And it's nice to be back. 能回来看看真的很不错
They're kinda like old friends for me. 它们对我来说就像老朋友一样
Narrator: On one of these ridges, 其中的一条山脊
Is a field camp tim and ed will call home 蒂姆和艾德会建立一处营地，
For the next three weeks. 在接下来的三个星期中，这里就是他们的家
If they can land. 前提是他们能够找到地方降落
Ed scholes: Rory we're just looking 艾德：罗里，我们要找的地方
For a cut clearing on a ridge. 是山脊上一块清理干净的地方
Rory: Ok. 罗里：好的
Ed scholes: And hopefully they get 艾德：希望能有足够的地方
The helipad for us. 让我们降落
Rory: Yeah. 罗里：是的
Ed scholes: It is the moment of truth. 艾德：关键时刻到了
Tim laman: Yeah really. 蒂姆：确实啊
Ed scholes: Let's hope, let's hope, let's hope. 艾德：让我们祈祷吧，祈祷吧，祈祷吧
Tim laman: I see smoke dead ahead on the ridge. 蒂姆：正前方山脊上有烟
Right there. 就在那边
Ed scholes: Yeah, you can see the bamboo there. 艾德：那里有片竹子
Tim laman: Yes. 蒂姆：是的
Ed scholes: What do you think rory? 艾德：你觉得能降落么，罗里？
Rory: Yeah, no problem. 罗里：恩，没问题
Barely a challenge. 算不上有多大难度
Tim laman: That's what we like to hear. 蒂姆：我们喜欢听这句话
We've got a helicopter only a "sat" phone 我们现在只有一架直升飞机，还在很远的地方
Call away and a few thousand dollars. 还有几千美元
Narrator: Parotia territory at last. 终于来到了六线风鸟的领地
Ed scholes: The parotia is one of the 艾德：六线风鸟属的鸟类
Quintessential shape shifting species. 是最善于变形的物种之一
Narrator: When the male displays he 雄鸟表演的时候，
Tucks his wings away and pops out 它会把翅膀卷起来，
Specialized breast feathers. 胸部的羽毛爆开
Ed scholes: They're kinda funny and 艾德：看它们表演很有趣
Comical to watch. 有点滑稽
You can't help but to think of them as like a 你会忍不住觉得，
Little person in the forest, 它们就像是生活在森林里的小矮人
Wearing a skirt, dancing around. 穿着裙子，到处跳舞
Narrator: There are five species of parotia 六线风鸟属包含五个种
And tim and ed have photographed them all. 蒂姆和艾德拍到了全部的种类
But this time they want to change it up. 这次他们想换个方式
They're trying to film a male parotia from above, 他们想从上方拍摄一只雄鸟
From the perspective of the females, 也就是说以雌鸟的视角来拍摄
Who are the arbiters of what makes a good display. 它们舞跳得好不好，雌鸟最有发言权
Ed thinks the aerial view will be very 艾德认为，这次使用俯瞰的角度
Different from anything they've ever seen. 应该会带来不一样的东西
Ed scholes: The way the females look at 艾德：雌鸟观察雄鸟的角度
'em is from above looking down. 正是高高俯瞰
So the females see this really distinct 因此雌鸟看到的情形是，
Circular shape that's made by the skirt. 雄鸟的“裙边”形成了一个圆圈
Alright, this is the camp; 好了，到达营地了
They've already got the old tarp up. 他们已经把那块旧油布搭上去了
Narrator: Ed's command of the 艾德对当地的语言
Local language, pidgin, comes in handy. 已经应用的得心应手
Ed: [speaking pidgin]. 艾德：（用当地语言说话）
Narrator: As their porters make camp, 在工人搭建营地的时候
They strike out to scout display sites. 他们出去寻找合适的拍摄地点
Ed scholes: There's a couple of old ones 艾德：在这片树丛里
Right over here in this thicket. 有几只成年的
That's what I first noticed. 我第一次就是在这里发现的
I think it's here. 我觉得是这里
There's like a sink hole and this one's a 那边有个水坑，
Fresh one because look it's got fresh bird poop. 看起来是新鲜的鸟粪
Or, as they say in pidgin, "peck peck." 用当地土话说，叫“peck peck”
Narrator: This bare patch is the male's 这块空地是雄鸟用来表演的领地
Display territory, it's called a court. 是个求爱的秀场
Parotia are neat freaks, keeping their courts 六线风鸟是彻头彻尾的怪咖，它们把
Spotless and clear. 求爱场清理得一尘不染
So ed sets up a tiny camera, 艾德在这里架设了一架微型摄像机
Then scatters some leaves. 扔点树叶过去
It's his sneaky way of telling if the 这是他的小技巧
Males are using this site. 判断是否有雄鸟使用这块场地
Ed scholes: Really drives them crazy to 艾德：撒上树叶后
Have those leaves down there, 雄鸟看到了会发疯的
They're very fastidious. 它们有洁癖
So when he comes by here and sees those he won't be 当雄鸟过来后，看到一地的树叶
Able to help himself, he'll come right down 会情不自禁地
And toss them all off the court. 把这些叶子清理出去
Tim laman: Holy cow, man. 蒂姆：不是吧，哥们
We can almost get the looking down 这边刚好可以
View from up here. 从上往下看一览无余
Ed scholes: Yeah. 艾德：完全没问题
Narrator: If the site proves to be active, 如果这块场地还在继续使用
It's perfect for the overhead shot. 这绝对是一个俯拍的好地方
Tim laman: This distance is very safe for parotias. 蒂姆：这个距离对六线风鸟来说很安全
I mean, I think that's a wide enough view right 我是说如果清理掉一些藤蔓
There if we just clean out that vine. 可以得到很宽阔的视野
Ed scholes: Yeah. 艾德：没错
This one's totally doable. 绝对行得通
Narrator: Capturing the female perspective on film 如果能够以雌鸟的角度拍到雄鸟跳舞
Would be a scientific breakthrough and 从科研角度来说是个突破
A dream come true for ed. 对艾德来说也算了了一个心愿
Ed scholes: If we succeed in especially 艾德：如果我们能拍到
Getting the moment of transformation that's 它们“变形”的瞬间，
Gonna be the holy grail. 那绝对是独家
Narrator: They check the spy camera and 他们在查看摄像机拍到的画面
Sure enough it doesn't take long for the 很确定，用不了多久就会有
Parotia to arrive. 一只雄鸟过来
Ed scholes: That's the leaf we put down. 艾德：那是我们故意扔在那里的叶子
Tosses it. 快点把它拿走
Yeah! 果然！
Yeah, he's coming like right up next 看，它直接跑过来
To the gopro. 就在摄像机旁边
Narrator: He's so intent on cleaning up; 它正在专心致志地打扫卫生
He doesn't even notice the camera! 它完全没留意到摄像机
Tim laman: No way. 蒂姆：不是吧
Ed scholes: Are you kidding me? 艾德：这玩笑开大了
Tim laman: Wow, we actually got 蒂姆：噢吼，我们弄到了
An awesome gopro shot of a parotia! 很精彩的画面
That's hilarious. 太欢乐了
I can't believe that worked, 难以相信，真的奏效了
He totally didn't care at all. 它完全不管旁边的摄像机
Whoa, this guy is big. 哇哦，这哥们个头不小
Ed scholes: That tail is long. 艾德：好长的尾巴
Tim laman: That tail is long, 蒂姆：这尾巴不短
That's a huge bird. 好大一只鸟
I forget how much bigger. 不知道比以前的大多少
Ed scholes: This is a lot bigger. 艾德：这只确实比以前的大多了
Tim laman: This parotia is than some of the others. 蒂姆：这只比以前的大
Narrator: Tim plans to position three 蒂姆计划在这块区域
Synchronized cameras around the display area. 设置三台同步摄像机
Ed will control two from his laptop, 艾德通过笔记本控制其中的两台
While tim shoots the third from a 蒂姆拿着第三台摄像机
Hidden vantage point. 从一个隐蔽的地方拍摄
Tim laman: I just need to get a bunch of bush rope 蒂姆：我需要一捆草绳
And start lashing together a ladder. 把这些梯子扎起来
Narrator: Thankfully the forest itself is 幸亏森林就像是
As good as a hardware store. 一个五金店
Ed has been studying parotia displays for 艾德研究六线风鸟
Years, their dances are the most complex 已经有好多年了，这种鸟的舞蹈
Of any bird of paradise and 是六线风鸟中最复杂的
He knows every move they make. 他几乎清楚它们的每一个动作
Ed scholes: In pretty much an instant, 艾德：接下来
He'll do a bow. 它会躬下身子
And he basically then fluffs out those long 爆开胸前和翅膀上的长羽毛
Feathers of the breast and flanks and that's when he 然后向后形成一个圈
Forms them around his body and they go back behind 接着往后退
His back and cover his wings and
When he comes up and he's taking these 走上前，竖着三根
3 long head wires from each side. 长长的天线一样的东西
And as he starts walking forward with his skirt out 然后就这样撑着裙子
He's shaking them back and forth, 前前后后的踱步
Waving them in front of his head. 挥舞着头顶上的羽毛
Then he begins waggling his neck and 然后就扭脖子
Head back and forth like that. 抻着头一前一后
None of it really makes sense unless we can 这些动作对人来说没有任何意义
Interpret it from the perspective that the 除非我们能从雌鸟的角度来
Females are seeing him. 破译出来
Narrator: For birds of paradise the females are 对六线风鸟属来说，雌鸟
The evolutionary decision makers. 实际上成了进化方向的决定者
Tim laman: Ok, it's 12:15; we're getting this all set 蒂姆：现在是12:15，我们已经准备好了
Up during this, sort of lull in the 一天中难得
Middle of the day. 它们空闲的时刻
So if the bird starts coming back for some 如果下午有鸟回来
Afternoon activity we'd be ready to go. 我们就有准备了
Narrator: It's a complicated rig. 这设备很复杂
Ed scholes: Perfect ethernet hiding material. 这种叶子掩藏线缆很合适
Narrator: Custom built cables, 他们用专门定制的线缆
Specialized software and electronics. 专业的软件和电子设备
Ed scholes: Alright I'm going back to 艾德：好了，我得回去
Set up the computer. 把摄像机设置好
Narrator: And none of it very jungle-friendly. 这些设备本来不适合在森林里使用
Ed scholes: (bleep).
Slippery. 真tm滑
Great. 很好
All right, so it's working, 好了，效果不错
The cameras are on. 相机开始工作
And I think we're in business. 我们可以开工了
Narrator: Tim settles into his blind, 蒂姆完全是碰运气
Hoping their camera-ready parotia 希望这个固定的摄像机
Will make another appearance. 能够捕捉到雄鸟的表演
Ed scholes: They seem to be everywhere but 艾德：听起来到处都是它们
On the court where we need them. 但我们需要它们在秀场表演
[thunder] 雷声
Tim laman: Well, I'm still sitting 蒂姆：我只能坐在这
Here in my blind. 干等着
Think I'm gonna call it quits pretty soon. 希望能快点结束
Hey it's getting pretty dark over here, 喂，我这里太黑了
I think I'm gonna start packing up. 我想收拾一下撤了
Ed scholes: Okay, let me pack this up. 艾德：好的，我先把这里打包
Alright, calling it quits. 今天就到这
Tim laman: Well. 蒂姆：好的
Ed scholes: Too much good luck to get it 艾德：第一天要想拿到所有的东西
All in the first day. 运气成分太大了
Tim laman: Yeah. 蒂姆：是的
Asking a bit too much indeed. 要求有点高
Narrator: Early the next morning 第二天一大早
They're back at it. 他们又回来了
Ed scholes: I had to stop by starbucks 艾德：我觉得得去趟星巴克
On my way back to work. 在开始干活之前
Narrator: Miraculously, the parotia also 神奇的是，这只六线风鸟
Shows up for the morning shift. 来了场早场表演
Tim laman: I got it, I got it on both. 蒂姆：拍到了，两只都拍到了
Ed scholes: Yeah, it's great. 艾德：不错不错
It's going to be fun to review this. 再看一遍也很有意思
Tim laman: Yeah great, alright. 蒂姆：是的，很精彩
Ed scholes: Yeah, we got one! 艾德：我们又拍到了
Narrator: The question is were all 现在的问题是，三部摄影机
Three cameras rolling? 是不是都在工作
Ed scholes: Alright, moment of truth here. 艾德：关键时刻到了
Lookin' left, lookin' right. 左看看，右看看
Bow. 弯下腰
Yeah, his tail. 看那条尾巴
Ok he's coming out of the ballerina, 像芭蕾舞女出场
Turning around. 转着圈
Tim laman: It's a nice view of his wires. 蒂姆：这个视角很方便观察它头上的天线
Ed scholes: Oh and he goes under there. 艾德：它跑到那边去了
Tim laman: Wow! 蒂姆：哇哦
That flash is amazing. 这下闪得不错
Ed scholes: Yeah, yeah it is amazing. 艾德：恩，很惊艳
Narrator: This is even bigger than ed expected. 这只比艾德预想的要大
Ed scholes: Wow, you know what, 艾德：哇哦，你看
So you can even see the flash, 从这个角度甚至能看到它“爆闪”
So he's got this other ornament on the back of 它用羽毛盖住后脑勺
His head that you almost never see and 很不容易看到
It flashes right on the opposite side. 刚好在另一边闪了一下
Tim laman: Oh look, he's. 蒂姆：看，它正在
Ed scholes: Yeah, he looks so different. 艾德：是的，看起来很不一样
Tim laman: Yeah, that's nice. 蒂姆：是的，很漂亮
Narrator: He knew the view from up top 他知道从上往下俯瞰
Would be different, but these 可能会看到不一样的东西，但
Iridescent flashes are a shock. 这些五彩的闪光还是让他震惊了
It's like the male is sending out secret love 就像是雄鸟发射出一种
Messages that only the female above him can see. 只有在它上方的雌鸟才能看到的秘密信息
Tim laman: Usually, we always filmed it from a 蒂姆：我们通常情况下
Blind on the ground so that flashing really is 是从地面的隐蔽处拍摄它们
Designed to face upward to flash to the females so 而这种“爆闪”是面向它上方的雌鸟的
Now that we're really looking down 所以当我们从上往下看时
On it we're really seeing that flash flash! 我们才能看到闪光
That's just really cool to see it 当从一个不同的角度去看时
From different angles. 往往会有惊奇的发现
Narrator: With all three cameras synched up, 把三部相机的画面同步播放
They can see the top-down shot in context. 可以清楚地了解俯瞰时看到的情景所拥有的意义
Tim laman: Nice. 蒂姆：不错
Ed scholes: Man, those head wires look great. 艾德：老兄，那天线看起来棒极了
He kind of does that tick, tick, 它在那一颤一颤一颤
Tick exaggerated. 很夸张
Tim laman: Ah, look at that flash, 蒂姆：哈，看这闪光
That is like so cool. 太酷了
Blue and yellow. 蓝色和黄色
Ed scholes: Yeah, from this perspective you're 艾德：从这个角度
Kind of getting both colors at once, you know? 可以同时看到两种颜色，知道吧
Tim laman: Yeah. 蒂姆：是的
Ed scholes: Yeah. 艾德：是的
That's good. 很不错
Alright nice work. 好了，干得不错
Narrator: It's the unknown that makes 因为不为所知
Birds of paradise so fascinating. 天堂之鸟才如此迷人
Tim and ed were the first to discover 蒂姆和艾德是最先发现
That one species, the arfak astrapia, 黑蓝长尾风鸟
Performs its displays upside down! 是倒着表演的
Ed scholes: That's as close as you get 艾德：这种感觉就像是
To a-ha moments in science anymore. 在科学研究中豁然开朗的发现
Narrator: And the arfak isn't the only one 黑蓝长尾风鸟
To turn the mating dance on its head. 并不是唯一倒着来的
The blue bird of paradise, the red bird of paradise 蓝风鸟，红风鸟
And the emperor. 还有王风鸟
This footage of the emperor displaying 这是唯一一段拍摄到
Is the first ever recorded. 王风鸟表演的画面
But the birds rarely make it easy. 要拍到并不容易
Ed once spent 80 hours waiting for just 艾德有一次守候了80多个小时
90 seconds of magnificent riflebird display. 只拍到了丽色掩鼻风鸟一段90秒的表演画面
Tim has climbed nearly 150 trees over the years. 在过去几年，蒂姆爬了差不多有150棵树
His highest perch was 165 feet in the air, 他爬的最高纪录是165英尺（50米）
Getting to it was like climbing a 爬上那棵树
15 story building. 相当于爬一座15层高的楼
Sometimes he gets room service for lunch. 有时候他会叫人把饭送过来在树上解决
Tim laman: Alright. 蒂姆：好的
I got the full indonesian lunch here. 印尼风味的午餐
I got rice, I got vegetables. 有米饭和蔬菜
I got noodles. 面条
Quite a lunch for up in a tree, huh? 在树上吃午饭，别有一番风味
Narrator: But the next bird on their list 它们要拍的下一种鸟
Could be even more challenging. 更有挑战性
Tim laman: So we good to go? 蒂姆：准备好没
Ed scholes: Seems like it. 艾德：差不多
Tim laman: Man it's pouring, huh? 蒂姆：大雨倾盆啊哥们
Narrator: To reach it, tim and ed 要找到那种鸟
Are heading out to sea. 蒂姆和艾德需要下海
They're now on the trail of the rare 他们现在开始追踪
Goldie's bird of paradise. 一种罕见的戈氏风鸟
Goldie's have an incredibly limited range, 戈氏风鸟的分布范围极窄
They only exist on two tiny islands off the 只生活在新几内亚东海的
Eastern coast of new guinea. 两个小岛上
Ed scholes: The genus paradisaea, 艾德：这种风鸟
These are the ones that are on the flag and 就是新几内亚国旗上的那种
Have the most sought after plumes for human interest, 它们的非常非常受欢迎
Especially new guinea culture. 尤其是在新几内亚
Narrator: The plume trade impacted many bird of 在世纪之交，羽毛贸易
Paradise species at the turn of the century, 影响了大量的风鸟生存
But the striking feathers of the genus 漂亮的羽毛
Paradisaea were particularly prized. 价值非常高
Their numbers have rebounded since then, 数量从那时起有了回升
But they're still hard to find. 但目前依然很难发现
Tim laman: Alright, see if I can get on 蒂姆：好，我上去
This sucker without falling in. 别把船搞翻了
It's like the wettest start to an expedition 这几乎是所有探索任务中
That we've ever had. 天气最潮湿的一次
Narrator: Goldie's bird of paradise 戈氏风鸟
Display in the canopy. 在树枝间表演
Tim will have to build himself a camouflaged 蒂姆需要制作一张伪装网
Blind high in a tree. 把自己藏在高处
He's had success in the canopy with the greater 他曾经成功使用一个多相机平台
Bird of paradise using a multi camera rig. 在树干高处拍摄大风鸟
Tim laman: This is the main display perch. 蒂姆：表演主要在这根树枝上进行
And there's my blind over there. 那边有一部相机
And right here is my leaf camera. 这里是我用树叶伪装好的相机
We put a whole slr here inside these leaves. 里面是一部单反相机
Alright, let's hope this works. 希望能够奏效
Narrator: Tim monitored the leaf cam with his 蒂姆用笔记本控制这部树叶伪装的相机
Laptop, while he shot with a second 他躲在隐蔽处操作另一部
Camera from the blind. 来拍摄
Tim laman: Alright, so we are good to go. 蒂姆：好了，准备好了
Now we just need the birds. 就等鸟们上门了
Narrator: First the males show up and 雄鸟先飞过来，
Ruffle their plumes to attract the females. 扇动翅膀吸引雌鸟的注意
Once the ladies get there, 雌鸟被吸引过来后
The males get really excited. 雄鸟就兴奋起来了
Tim laman: It's actually working! 蒂姆：果然有用
It's kind of unbelievable. 真是不可思议
Narrator: This is called the "flower pose." 这个是“花朵姿势”
If the female likes what she sees,
She'll stick around for some feather tickling
And eventually mating.
The innovative leaf cam captures a never before
Seen perspective of the mating ritual.
This time, they're hoping to combine
All of their successful tactics.
They need to get their cameras up in the canopy
To capture the experience of a female goldie's.
But first they have to reach them.
Tim laman: We're headed into some
Dark weather over there.
The letim laman: We'reremember salheaded into some
Dark weather over there.
Ed scholes: As we came out of the mouth of the bay it
Just kept getting choppier and choppier so now we
Were in pretty much serious downpour rain,
As well as rough seas.
Narrator: This passage to the goldie's home,
Fergusson island is notoriously deadly.
Ed scholes and tim laman have got to cross the open
Straight, motor between the islands and around the
Tip of fergusson, then hike inland to a tiny
Village that will be their home base.
Scouting reports from the island have confirmed
That the birds are there.
Ed scholes: So we're not going to have to spend any
Time when we first get there searching for the
Birds and trying to find the display tree.
Narrator: It's legendarily inconvenient to work in
New guinea, but the same impenetrable jungles,
Far-flung islands and extreme elevations that
Make passage nearly impossible are also what
Has given rise to these otherworldly creatures.
Little jurassic parks, pocket environments cut
Off from each other and the outside create fertile
Ground for small populations of birds to
Evolve extraordinary characteristics.
Tim laman: Hey we made it.
Narrator: They've survived the passage,
But there's still a rough road ahead.
Their guide, local conservationist
David mitchell, returns from scouting
The inland trail with bad news.
David mitchell: Most of the water is up to about
Here on what's the walking track.
Tim laman: So what does that mean about
The forest around where the birds of paradise are?
Is it going to be flooded there?
David mitchell: It's flooded.
But give it two days it might go down.
Tim laman: Great.
David mitchell: Sorry.
Tim laman: Might as well camp here on the beach
Or something.
Just stay here.
Ed scholes: What would we do,
Just wait for it to go down?
Tim laman: Well it's not really practical to
Carry all of our gear to the flooded village
Through neck deep water.
I mean that's not going to work either.
Ed scholes: Can we walk over there and look?
David mitchell: Yeah, come have a look.
Ed scholes: Yeah, let's go have a look.
Tim laman: I don't believe this.
Ed scholes: Yeah, the rain finally stops but now we
Can't go anywhere because of the flood.
Tim laman: Oh gosh.
Narrator: With no time to waste,
And no way to work without their gear,
Tim and ed set off in search of another route.
Tim laman: Whoa!
Ed scholes: Is it getting deeper again?
Tim laman: Yeah.
Narrator: The local villagers eagerly pitch
In, cutting a new path through the jungle.
Ed scholes: It's like a universal in new guinea;
Wherever you go it's always the kids
And girls carrying your stuff.
You don't look so tough next to a 12 year old
Girl carrying your big bag for you.
Now all we need is a good downpour.
Tim laman: Alright.
Narrator: At long last they reach the village.
Tim laman: Here we are.
Ed scholes: Home sweet home, fergusson island.
Narrator: The goldie's live in the forest nearby.
Tim laman: Hello.
Villagers: Hello!
Tim laman: How are you?
Ed scholes: The patch of forest where the
Birds are is very close.
Narrator: They're anxious to see the tree
Where the goldie's display.
Tim laman: Slippery mud right there.
Ed scholes: That's the goldie call,
"wah, wah, wah."
Isn't that awesome?
This could be a quick trip to foot rot.
Narrator: In the flooded forest,
All sorts of creatures are scrambling to stay dry.
Some, like this spiny orb weaver are as colorful
As a bird of paradise.
But it's the birds they are here to see.
Ed scholes: That sounds more like what
They do before they start displaying.
You know, they do that chatter.
[makes bird sounds].
And then they would go [makes bird sounds]
And then they would jump right into it.
Tim laman: Well, that sounds a little.
Narrator: Finally, they manage to find
An active tree.
Ed scholes: See how that tree that goes up
And has got this fork in it.
There's kind of like an open gap of a
Bunch of little jungle gym-like sticks.
That's where the birds are.
Narrator: There is no place up there to build a
Blind so they have to adjust their plan.
Tim laman: The main approach is gonna be to
Try to use these remote control cameras.
So when I climb up in the tree,
I'm gonna rig up this camera, hidden,
With also a layer of leaves over this.
And try to hide it you know in the next tree
Closest to the display site.
Then we'll be able to run these cables down
To the ground and shoot with the remote control
Setup from our laptops.
We think it's gonna be a natural history
Filmmaking first to film birds of paradise
Like this up in the canopy.
Narrator: They just need to turn this pile
Of gear into a working camera system.
Tim laman: This goes to that.
This is going to be your number
2 laptop connection.
Ed scholes: Hey tim, there's one of those
Big millipedes going right by.
Tim laman: Oh yeah, yeah.
Narrator: Though not a biter,
The millipede can secrete a caustic acid
That causes a painful burn.
Tim laman: I'm going to wait so if he decides
To spray his chemicals he'll hit
My clothes instead of my leg.
Alright, I'm going to get rid of this dude.
I think we're about ready for this test.
Ed scholes: Alright, I am seeing two cameras.
Now we need a dancing bird.
Here we go.
I'm gonna do my best imitation of a
Goldie's bird of paradise.
[imitates bird].
Alright, you working?
Tim laman: Cut!
Ok.
Here it comes.
Ed scholes: Alright, look at that guy.
I'm pretty sure he'll be successful.
Tim laman: Alright, it worked.
Ed scholes: Shoulda had my red shirt on.
Tim laman: Alright now we gotta rig it up in a tree.
Narrator: The goldie's display site
Is a hundred feet up.
Ed scholes: Man, you had it,
But I think you hit a leaf.
Tim laman: Yeah it went right over to the right
Spot but then it bounced back off of a.
Ed scholes: A leaf.
Tim laman: Another branch.
David mitchell: Tim, moses was saying that's a
Soft wood so it's not very strong and
The branches are easy to break.
Tim laman: Okay.
So uh but if I go over one of the biggest branches,
Should be all right, yeah?
David mitchell: What do you think moses?
Do you think tim's too heavy, or?
Moses: That's right.
David mitchell: You don't think
It'll support him eh?
Moses: Yeah.
David mitchell: He said this is a
Soft wood so he was having reservations when
He saw you putting an arrow up in it.
Ed scholes: How soft is soft wood?
Tim laman: Well I think I'll pull a rope up
And see how strong it is.
It's good to be careful.
Ed scholes: We can put some double weight on the
Rope and just see how much it bends and.
Tim laman: See if the whole thing breaks off.
All right, here goes.
Ed scholes: A little short.
Tim laman: Alright.
Got it in the right spot.
Narrator: The rope is secure;
It's time to see if it will hold tim's weight.
Willpower. Narrator: National geographic photographer
Tim laman gingerly navigates the
Soft wood tree.
Tim laman: Alright I'm at the level now.
Ed scholes: Yeah?
Tim laman: It is pretty light wood.
Ed scholes: Is it gonna be all right?
Tim laman: As long as I stay in the middle.
I put a loop in the rope and clipped it in so if
The whole top of the tree where I'm at actually
Cracks and bends over.
My rope actually will still keep me from hitting
The ground, it still would be a nasty fall but it
Would be better than hitting the ground.
Narrator: With the nearest hospital
Two day's journey away, safety is paramount.
Ed scholes: How's the view of the branch?
Can you see it pretty easily?
Tim laman: I got a perfectly clear view
And it's two meters away.
Ed scholes: Two?
Tim laman: That's gonna be awesome.
Oh, my feet.
This is not gonna be comfortable up here.
Narrator: As tim rushes to get the cameras in place,
The goldie's start revving up for a display.
Ed scholes: It's a call to action.
It means it's time to get your groove on.
It's like the guy standing in front
Of the mirror going uh-uh-uh.
Narrator: For the males of most species of birds of
Paradise, promiscuity is a full time job.
They flirt and flirt to get the
Female's attention.
Ed scholes: The males would mate repeatedly
With the same females throughout the course
Of the display session.
Would mate with multiple females,
Would mate with the same females repeatedly over
Multiple days or weeks so, so yeah they're not very
Discriminating about who and how many.
It's pretty much up to the female.
Narrator: Which is why it's critical to see what
The females see, how they decide who's worthy.
Tim laman: Alright I'm up here in the canopy
By the goldie's bird of paradise tree and
Here are my two remote control cameras #1 and #2.
Narrator: It's taken three hours for tim
To perfectly position the cameras.
Tim laman: My legs are starting to get
Gripped up from just holding these
Weird positions for too long.
I need a break.
Narrator: Unable to rest on any of the fragile
Branches, tim has got to get down
Before his legs give out.
Tim laman: Kind of a narrow spot
To get through here.
Whoa.
Oh man, it's really tiring up there.
The birds are calling just behind us.
Just above back over here.
So they're only about 25 meters away.
But maybe they're all spooked by my
Cameras up there, we're not sure.
Narrator: The digital trap is laid,
But no one's biting.
Ed scholes: Come on in boys, the water's warm.
Tim laman: They're kind of closer.
They're up higher.
If we had a stuffed female bird of paradise,
Stuck her up there, they'd be down there in a second.
Narrator: Unintentionally,
Ed tries to call them in himself.
Tim laman: That's the most ridiculous water bottle.
Ed scholes: I don't know what to do about it.
Tim laman: There's a lot of waiting
In this business.
Ed scholes: Oh man.
They're definitely there when they come around.
But they're just not in the right tree.
Tim laman: Come on dudes.
Come on.
Narrator: But today is not going to be the day.
Tim laman: Ah, (bleep).
It's starting to rain.
Ed scholes: Shuttin' down.
Tim laman: I can't believe they're coming so close,
Right when it's getting dark and I have to go up
And get the cameras down because
It's also starting to rain.
And now they're like right here.
Narrator: They can't film at night and
The cameras aren't waterproof, so day one
On fergusson is a bust.
Tim laman: Let's just hope we get the payoff moment
To go with all the misery and suffering.
Narrator: The next morning,
They're back before dawn.
Tim laman: Alright, we're going to try to be really
Quiet because we think the birds are sleeping very
Close to the tree here so we're just going to try to
Sneak up there and set up the cameras,
Get back down as fast as I can.
Narrator: As if the soft wood isn't dangerous
Enough, tim's climbing in total darkness and
The tree is soaked and slippery.
Ed scholes: Alright I'm gonna do a
Quick cable check here.
Make sure the rats didn't chew the cable overnight
Which would be a big problem.
Rodents love this rubbery wire.
Tree rats.
The bain of every ornithologist.
Tim laman: Alright 5:28.
So we're on schedule, I made it
Back down before 5:30.
Ed scholes: Yeah, good job.
Tim laman: Yeah.
Now we just got to sit tight and
Wait for like an hour for it to get light.
They haven't come to the display site yet.
You know, it was raining all night and it's been a
Really wet and kind of drippy morning,
So we hope that that's the reason that they're not
Being active and displaying this morning.
But we don't know, it's just kind of
A waiting game.
They're getting temptingly close now,
But I just don't think they're buying it.
Narrator: The goldie's seem to be
Avoiding the rigged tree.
Tim laman: It's been like two good mornings now and
They haven't come, so I'm pretty sure that having
Those cameras up there close to the
Display site is putting them off a bit.
So we're gonna have to try something different.
Narrator: Frustrated by the goldie's lack of
Cooperation, tim and ed head off in search of a
Different bird they've been hearing.
Tim laman: Manucodes are calling nearby.
So I'm gonna try to get that on video.
Hey, which one do you want to chase,
There's one over here now, too.
Ed scholes: Let's go, back toward the big fig tree.
Narrator: Curl crested manucodes have a
Spectacular call.
Ed scholes: Sounds like a ufo landing.
Ah, they're right here.
But we're on the wrong side of the sun.
Tim laman: (bleep).
Narrator: The manucode is a throwback species.
It looks more similar to the ancient,
Crow-like ancestor of all birds of paradise than it
Does to its flamboyant modern-day cousins.
Manucodes are quaintly monogamous;
They don't need fancy feathers to convince a
Female to mate with them,
Like the males of other species.
Ed scholes: Somewhere along the way they made
The shift from being monogamous to polygynous
And then things just went crazy
With sexual selection.
Narrator: Unlike natural selection which weeds out
The weak, sexual selection ensures the survival of
The male traits the female finds most attractive.
When a female bird of paradise selects a male to
Mate with, she is endorsing his assets,
Making sure those genes will live on.
Ed scholes: The more extreme your preference
Is for certain kinds of behaviors or ornaments,
The more extreme those traits are in the
Offspring of the males that have them.
So because of that, the females' behavior of
Spending time watching males and mating is sort
Of equally as obnoxious and extreme
And bizarre as what the males are doing themselves.
Narrator: Plentiful food and few predators free up
Male birds of paradise to devote
Most of their energy to mating.
The choosy females only mate with
The sexiest males.
But every encounter starts with an audition.
Ed scholes: They've created their destiny of
Spending inordinate number of hours watching
The very males that their ancestors
Have created through sexual selection.
Narrator: The manucodes never made
The leap to polygamy.
But that doesn't mean they're
Without sex appeal.
For them it's an oral thing.
Ed records a male's call and plays it back
To fool a bird into revealing its position.
Ed scholes: There they go.
Tim laman: Where'd they go?
Ed scholes: Right there.
Tim laman: Is that him right there?
Ed scholes: He's low in there somewhere.
Tim laman: That's him, that's him.
Just behind the tree.
Ed scholes: He's right in the sunlight.
Tim laman: Yeah.
Ed scholes: Wow you can really see his
Throat moving now.
Tim laman: This is the bird that has this really
Crazy like windy trachea on its throat there that
It's using to make that crazy call.
Narrator: This is an unexpected,
But important catch.
Tim laman: This is a cool behavior that nobody has
Documented the postures that these
Guys do while they're calling.
Ed scholes: Better than what we did
With goldie's this morning.
Narrator: Taking the manucodes as a good sign,
Tim and ed head back to the goldie's.
Tim laman: Oh yeah, there's a
Bird really close.
Narrator: Scientist/photographer
Team ed scholes and tim laman have spotted two
Male goldie's displaying on a branch about
50 yards from their rigged tree.
This is what they've been waiting for.
Tim laman: It's pretty good.
They're so low.
With this big lens from this far away it
Feels like you're up there with them, so.
Narrator: The females have box seats
For the performance.
Ed scholes: Okay, it looks like the female came back
And now he's getting closer and closer.
There he goes.
And now they mated.
So that's one mating.
Tim laman: I just got a mating on film.
Narrator: An eternity of foreplay leads up to a
Hit and run transfer of sperm.
Tim laman: So they did their whole thing,
I got the mating and everything.
Ed scholes: Yeah, you get a pretty
Good view from here.
Tim laman: Yeah.
Ed scholes: Nice.
The stick is in the way, but.
Tim laman: Yeah.
There's this one stick where when the two males
Are there it's mostly like that.
I don't like that branch.
Narrator: Now if they can just get a display
With their leaf cam.
Ed scholes: Coffee's on.
It's pretty good.
We got our papua new guinea coffee with a
Bird of paradise on the front there.
Can't go without my little broken heart mug.
Narrator: Before tim climbs up to rig the
Remote camera, he attempts an aerial extraction.
Tim laman: No that was a bad one.
Oh!
Yes, I think we did it.
I think it's one of those softwood trees.
Well, the offending branch is no more.
Alright I gotta go up.
Here's a view of the canopy camera.
It's going to be looking out on
That tree over there.
Hopefully the birds will come,
Do a little displaying and
We'll get the canopy perspective.
Wow this is working great.
Now if the birds will just come.
Alright, I'm going to get my big lens set up.
I got a small tree in my way.
They're starting to get excited.
He's there.
Are you rolling ed?
Ed scholes: Yeah.
Tim laman: Boy they're coming in fast.
Ed scholes: There he is, there he is.
Tim laman: Oh awesome!
Ed scholes: Two males, two females.
Hey, first leaf cam footage of goldie's.
Tim laman: Alright we'll take it.
We'll take it.
There he goes.
Narrator: Before they leave the island,
Tim reveals their groundbreaking
Shots for the first time.
Tim laman: This is a rapid-fire sequence.
Narrator: The unique leaf cam perspective
Exposes previously unknown behavior,
The females seem to be mesmerized by the males
Red feathers and during every display,
The males brush their tail wires and
Plumes against the female's breast.
Ed scholes: Well, cheers to a good day.
Narrator: Tim and ed have accomplished many firsts
And this last expedition is no exception.
The first documented curl crested manucode display.
The first leaf-cam footage of goldie's.
The first parotia female perspective shot and
Over nearly a decade, the first photographs
Of every species of bird of paradise.
Tim laman: It's both sort of the most exciting
Project I have ever worked on and it's also the most
Frustrating project I have ever worked on.
Ed scholes: It's one thing to see a bird of paradise
And think, "oh its beautiful plumes
And it's a neat bird."
But it's mind-blowing when you really see it in
Context of what they're doing and how it evolved.