Why do bowerbirds decorate their bowers?
Male bowerbirds build and decorate structures called bowers to attract females. The quality of the bower and its decorations shows off the male's fitness and skill as a potential mate.
A bower is not a nest. It is a display area made of sticks and grass, built on the ground. Females inspect several bowers before choosing a mate, then build a nest elsewhere and raise the chicks alone.
The satin bowerbird of eastern Australia builds an avenue of two parallel walls of sticks and decorates it with blue objects, such as flowers, feathers, berries and even bottle caps and straws. The male's glossy blue-black plumage matches his decorations.
Different styles
The great bowerbird of northern Australia arranges objects in size order to create an optical illusion that makes the male look bigger to a female standing in the avenue. Other species prefer white, green or grey objects.
Males also dance, call and mimic other sounds while displaying.
Ten bowerbird species live in Australia, along with relatives in New Guinea.
Did You Know?
Male bowerbirds sometimes steal decorations from rival bowers or wreck them.