Bowerbird, a bird native to Australia, New Guinea, and surrounding islands. The male builds an enclosure, or bower, on the ground. When the bower is completed, the male performs an elaborate courtship dance to attract a female.
The satin bowerbird builds a bower consisting of two walls of twigs 12 inches (30 cm) long and 14 inches (36 cm) high. A platform of twigs is built in front of the walls and is decorated with colorful objects. The insides of the walls are painted with the bird's saliva. The male's plumage is black; the female's, greenish.
The spotted bowerbird builds a run about 18 inches (46 cm) long. The bower consists of two platforms of twigs with hedges of upright twigs at either side. The male arranges hundreds of bleached bones and shells nearby. The male's plumage is mottled brownish-gray; the female's is somewhat browner.
The crestless gardener bird clears a space around a small tree and erects a bower of twigs and moss, which resembles a thatched hut. The male lays colorful decorations and flowers on a carpet of moss at the entrance to the bower and, as they fade or wither, replaces them with fresh ornaments. The male's plumage is golden-brown; the female's is grayish.
Bowerbirds are 12 to 15 inches (30 to 38 cm) long. The birds feed mainly on fruit. Their nests, unlike the bowers, are simply constructed.
Bowerbirds belong to the family Ptilonorhynchidae. The satin bowerbird is Ptilonorhynchus violaceus; spotted bowerbird, Chlamydera maculata; crestless gardener bird, Amblyornis inornatus.