The western bowerbird is a species of bird in the family Ptilonorhynchidae. The species is a common endemic of Australia. It has a disjunct distribution, occurring in Central Australia and the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
Region
Central Australia and the Pilbara
Typical Environment
This species inhabits arid and semi-arid landscapes including rocky ranges, riverine woodlands, and mulga or acacia scrub. It frequents gorges, watercourse margins with eucalypts, and dense thickets that provide cover and display sites for bowers. In some towns within its range, it uses gardens and parks where fruiting plants are available. Bowery sites are typically placed under shrubs or amid low, thorny vegetation for concealment.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1000 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The western bowerbird is famous for the male’s elaborate avenue bower, decorated with pale bones, shells, green fruits, and even man‑made objects to attract females. Males display an erectile lilac-pink nuchal crest during courtship. They are adept mimics, incorporating other birds’ calls and various environmental sounds into their repertoire. Around towns like Alice Springs they can become surprisingly confiding in gardens and parks.
Western bowerbirds build bowers similar to the picture above.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Males are strongly territorial around their avenue bowers, which they build from sticks and decorate with pale and green items. They are polygynous; females inspect bowers and choose mates, then nest and raise young without male assistance. Nests are cup-shaped and placed in dense shrubs or trees, typically with a small clutch.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Calls include harsh churring notes, whistles, and a varied, scratchy chatter. Males are capable mimics and often incorporate the calls of other birds and local environmental sounds into their displays.
Plumage
Overall mottled brown with buff spotting and scalloping; underparts buff with darker streaking. An erectile lilac-pink nuchal crest is evident when raised. Feathers appear scaly or spotted, giving a speckled texture in good light.
Diet
They feed chiefly on fruits and berries from native trees and shrubs, including figs and mistletoes, and supplement this with insects such as beetles, ants, and caterpillars. They may take nectar, seeds, and occasional small invertebrates opportunistically. Around human habitation, they sometimes sample cultivated fruits or scraps.
Preferred Environment
Foraging occurs in the canopy and mid-story of riverine trees, in dense scrub, and on the ground near bowers. They also forage along rocky slopes and creeklines, and readily use gardens and parks within their arid-range towns.
