Bowerbirds are unique avians found in Papua New Guinea and Australia. There are 20 species total with ten found in Papua New Guinea, eight found in Australia, and two found in both. They live in a variety of habitats from dense rainforest to eucalyptus forests. These birds feed on many different items including: insects, fruit, leaves, and nectar.
Maypole Bower
While all of that information was interesting, what bowerbirds are known for are their mating behaviors. There are four species that are monogamous. Those are cool, but the fascinating species are polygynous, meaning males mate with as many females as they can. These males also build some of the most fascinating structure created by an animal. the bowers. Male bowerbirds will spend months collecting anything from twigs and leaves to bottle caps and shells to add to their bower to make females like it. Males will create the bowers and then lay their items around the bower hoping to attract a mate. There are two kinds of bowers, the maypole and the avenue. A maypole bower is a structure that is centered around a sapling and then all the twigs are laid against it to make a hut of sorts. The avenue bower is a walled path that the male created and then he may paint the inside with juices.
Avenue Bower
Bowerbirds are fascinating animals and if pictures are not enough for you then check out these videos and learn from National Geographic and the fantastic David Attenborough.
They are awesome builders and decorators. I thought the videos were great.
ReplyDeleteLove these great decorators.
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