The fire-maned bowerbird is a medium-sized, approximately 27 cm (11 in) long, bowerbird that inhabits and endemic to the forests of the Adelbert Range in Papua New Guinea. The striking male is black with fiery orange crown and upperback, elongated neck plumes, yellow iris and golden yellow wing patch. The female is a brown bird with brown-barred whitish underparts.
Region
Northeastern New Guinea
Typical Environment
Occurs only in the Adelbert Range, inhabiting hill and lower montane tropical rainforest. It favors mature, undisturbed forest with a dense midstory and scattered fruiting trees. Males place bowers on shaded forest floor sites with good cover and nearby display perches. It may use adjacent secondary forest and edges when fruit is abundant, but it is primarily tied to intact habitat.
Altitude Range
300–1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A little-known bowerbird confined to the remote Adelbert Range of Papua New Guinea, it is notable for the male’s vivid fiery-orange crown and mantle. Males build avenue-type bowers on the forest floor and decorate them with bright yellow and orange items to entice females. Like other bowerbirds, males perform elaborate displays, while females handle nesting and chick-rearing. Habitat loss and fragmentation in its limited range make sightings uncommon.
Temperament
secretive and wary
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats through the understory and mid-canopy
Social Behavior
Polygynous; males construct avenue-type bowers of upright sticks and decorate them with brightly colored objects. Courtship involves posturing, wing-flicking, and display of the orange mantle at the bower. Females select mates at bowers, then nest and rear young independently.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations include harsh rasps, chatters, and clear whistles delivered from concealed perches near the bower. It may incorporate mimicry and mechanical sounds during displays.
Plumage
Male glossy black with a fiery orange crown and upper back, elongated neck plumes, and a conspicuous golden-yellow wing patch; female brown with finely barred whitish underparts.
Diet
Primarily frugivorous, feeding on a variety of rainforest fruits and figs. It supplements its diet with insects and other small invertebrates, especially during breeding. Foraging often follows fruiting cycles, with individuals visiting key trees repeatedly. Seeds are dispersed via droppings, aiding forest regeneration.
Preferred Environment
Forages in the midstory and canopy at fruiting trees, occasionally descending to lower levels. Uses forest edges and gaps when fruiting resources are concentrated, but remains within forested landscapes.
