Great video! My daughter found a Bowerbird's bower a few weeks ago, and left out various blue objects for it. Lots of fun watching it come to collect them each day!
So wonderful to hear of your daughter's fascination with finding her very own bowerbird and its bower! Here is a neat experiment that she can try. Leave out four objects, one blue and the others of different colors and see which ones the bowerbird prefers. Ideally, the objects would be roughly the same shape, size, and weight so that you have a more controlled study.
With the blue plastic rings like milk bottle rings at the top of milk bottles. Cut them so that the Bowerbird doesn't get them stuck between his neck and beak.
They make the most extraordinary whistling, chattering, hissing noises. I've been fortunate to hear their conversations in my suburban backyard, just this week.
@greeneggsandzam: wow, isn't that something? i would just love to be able to view them. I love that they love blue, make sense haha. so cute... I love how nature is so entertaining. thanks green lol
Yes, they are pretty neat birds! You know the young males look a bit like females. After about year 4 or 5, right before a young male turns black, his beak will start looking yellowish. Keep an eye out for that! And if you are really lucky, you might catch a male in the process of going from green to black; they will be all splotchy with patches of both colors. Pretty wild looking.
Thanks Elliot. I look forward to seeing the changes. In spite of having lived at this address for 9 years this is the first time I have seen Bowerbirds in my backyard. It might have something to do with the shady, mini rainforest that I deliberately planted when I first moved in- and the mini ponds and ground cover. The trees are now two storeys and taller. I get Pardalotes, Eastern Spinebills, New Holland Honeyeaters, Fantails, Silvereyes Lorikeets, Turtle doves,Superb Fairy Wrens,Wattlebirds,Cockatoos, Cuckoo Shrikes and others I haven't identified.I also have a deliberately exposed compost heap that attracts fruit flies and other insects.There are flowering syzygiums and exotic flowering trees as well. Create a habitat and all kinds of native wildlife visit- including frogs and eastern waterskinks!
You are welcome, Kira. We are very curious as to what part of NSW or Victoria you live in. We will be coming back to do more research in a couple years and keep our eyes peeled for good areas. Could you perhaps do us another favor? Some of our bowerbird footage has recently aired in NatGeo Wild: Moody Beasts (series) and featured in the first episode called: Mating Games. If you see this episode, please let us know what it was like for we cannot view this in the US. Cheers, Elliot
Hi Elliot, I live in NSW , in the Macarthur region which extends from Campbelltown ( where I live) to down south and west and covers suburbs such as Tahmoor, Picton, Bargo Camden, Wedderburn ,Appin , Razorback.There are many other suburbs in the Macarthur region.There is the National park known as Dharawal National Park and The Scenic Hills in the heart of Campbelltown both of which provide natural environments suitable for many species of birds. There are a number of nature reserves that also host wildlife- Campbelltown Park Central(wetland),Noorumba Reserve, Smiths Creek Reserve, Riverside Reserve(all in Campbelltown). I will take a look at the NatGeo Wild: Moody Beasts(series). Bye for now Kira
Just love these birds. They spend years and years building their home and the end result is a 10 second mating session as the female raises her chicks by herself. I love the way the male decoratess his home by colour.
The satin bowerbirds I have in my very tall suburban paperbarks make all those crazy noises so I wonder, How and where do they mate? They have returned with young tihis year!
I agree with Kira. It takes a bowerbird male about 5 years to switch from green to all blue/black plumage. For the first few years, he will have a dark beak and look pretty much like a female. Then, his bill will start turning yellow. Maybe in the 4th year. Then, he will get all green and black splotchy; kind of looks like a clown. I don’t know how long that change takes and we only saw a few birds in this state. Probably a matter of a few months, I guess.
Natural history can be amazing if you pay attention. If you can't add a nice or constructive comment it is probably best if you keep your ideas to yourself. Even better would be to purchase some binoculars and see if you can find one of these amazing structures.
What the fuuuuck! Why blue? Why do they pick blue? And was he intentionally picking up something with almost exact colour as his eye? Like it’s one of his many plays in his playbook or was that a coincidence? This is fucking amazing, more people should know about this bird
All birds begin life as sort of green with lots of speckles. Females remain that way. After about 4 or 5 years a young male will start getting a yellowish beak. Soon after that, they start gaining some black splotching to their plumage, which I am guessing lasts about a season. After a molt of feathers, maybe year 5 or 6, they turn silky black with a bluish sheen. By then, their beak is pretty yellowish.
Great video! My daughter found a Bowerbird's bower a few weeks ago, and left out various blue objects for it. Lots of fun watching it come to collect them each day!
So wonderful to hear of your daughter's fascination with finding her very own bowerbird and its bower! Here is a neat experiment that she can try. Leave out four objects, one blue and the others of different colors and see which ones the bowerbird prefers. Ideally, the objects would be roughly the same shape, size, and weight so that you have a more controlled study.
With the blue plastic rings like milk bottle rings at the top of milk bottles. Cut them so that the Bowerbird doesn't get them stuck between his neck and beak.
These little birds are amazing. Wonderful art creations. Nature is so inspiring.
isn't that fascinating how they like blue, he even found a blue bottle cap. and the female is green. thanks for sharing this, i love it.
They make the most extraordinary whistling, chattering, hissing noises. I've been fortunate to hear their conversations in my suburban backyard, just this week.
Awww I feel sorry for the little guy, hope she came back!
@greeneggsandzam: wow, isn't that something? i would just love to be able to view them. I love that they love blue, make sense haha. so cute... I love how nature is so entertaining. thanks green lol
Love this. Have a visiting female Satin Bowerbird who loves eating fruitfly coated mandarin segments in my little backyard.
Yes, they are pretty neat birds! You know the young males look a bit like females. After about year 4 or 5, right before a young male turns black, his beak will start looking yellowish. Keep an eye out for that! And if you are really lucky, you might catch a male in the process of going from green to black; they will be all splotchy with patches of both colors. Pretty wild looking.
Thanks Elliot. I look forward to seeing the changes. In spite of having lived at this address for 9 years this is the first time I have seen Bowerbirds in my backyard. It might have something to do with the shady, mini rainforest that I deliberately planted when I first moved in- and the mini ponds and ground cover. The trees are now two storeys and taller. I get Pardalotes, Eastern Spinebills, New Holland Honeyeaters, Fantails, Silvereyes Lorikeets, Turtle doves,Superb Fairy Wrens,Wattlebirds,Cockatoos, Cuckoo Shrikes and others I haven't identified.I also have a deliberately exposed compost heap that attracts fruit flies and other insects.There are flowering syzygiums and exotic flowering trees as well. Create a habitat and all kinds of native wildlife visit- including frogs and eastern waterskinks!
You are welcome, Kira. We are very curious as to what part of NSW or Victoria you live in. We will be coming back to do more research in a couple years and keep our eyes peeled for good areas.
Could you perhaps do us another favor? Some of our bowerbird footage has recently aired in NatGeo Wild: Moody Beasts (series) and featured in the first episode called: Mating Games. If you see this episode, please let us know what it was like for we cannot view this in the US.
Cheers,
Elliot
Hi Elliot,
I live in NSW , in the Macarthur region which extends from Campbelltown ( where I live) to down south and west and covers suburbs such as Tahmoor, Picton, Bargo Camden, Wedderburn ,Appin , Razorback.There are many other suburbs in the Macarthur region.There is the National park known as Dharawal National Park and The Scenic Hills in the heart of Campbelltown both of which provide natural environments suitable for many species of birds. There are a number of nature reserves that also host wildlife- Campbelltown Park Central(wetland),Noorumba Reserve, Smiths Creek Reserve, Riverside Reserve(all in Campbelltown). I will take a look at the NatGeo Wild: Moody Beasts(series).
Bye for now
Kira
Just love these birds. They spend years and years building their home and the end result is a 10 second mating session as the female raises her chicks by herself. I love the way the male decoratess his home by colour.
probably flowers, stones, feathers, anything Blue he could find
The satin bowerbirds I have in my very tall suburban paperbarks make all those crazy noises so I wonder,
How and where do they mate?
They have returned with young tihis year!
And people say plastic is bad for the environment. We got that dude laid!
The birds in my backyard are a type of khaki green colour. I understand they are satin bowers. Is this so?
They are the females with a darker beak or juveniles with a light beak.They have bright blue eyes or they could be a species known as Green Catbirds.
I agree with Kira. It takes a bowerbird male about 5 years to switch from green to all blue/black plumage. For the first few years, he will have a dark beak and look pretty much like a female. Then, his bill will start turning yellow. Maybe in the 4th year. Then, he will get all green and black splotchy; kind of looks like a clown. I don’t know how long that change takes and we only saw a few birds in this state. Probably a matter of a few months, I guess.
Natural history can be amazing if you pay attention. If you can't add a nice or constructive comment it is probably best if you keep your ideas to yourself. Even better would be to purchase some binoculars and see if you can find one of these amazing structures.
So beautiful
What the fuuuuck! Why blue? Why do they pick blue? And was he intentionally picking up something with almost exact colour as his eye? Like it’s one of his many plays in his playbook or was that a coincidence? This is fucking amazing, more people should know about this bird
Agree, really amazing! There is so much about nature that we just don’t understand.
God love him.
Have these guys doing their crazy dialup music in my tall paperbarks and multiplying but no nest / bower, suburbia 2443
I had a bower in my backyard
I belated realized :V How does he know eye colors are blue????
I think he is a secret fly tipper.
She didn't like him and he tried so hard for her :'(
I thought the male was green coloured and the black was female
All birds begin life as sort of green with lots of speckles. Females remain that way. After about 4 or 5 years a young male will start getting a yellowish beak. Soon after that, they start gaining some black splotching to their plumage, which I am guessing lasts about a season. After a molt of feathers, maybe year 5 or 6, they turn silky black with a bluish sheen. By then, their beak is pretty yellowish.
Elliot Burch thats awesome. Thanks for the reply
Sad for him the back ground noise incessant road Traffic
♥
So did he found a chick in the end?
becky
Anything else blue, it would just be more difficult
...but he doesn't KNOW his eyes are blue. Right???? Cuzzzzzz...
Who really knows!
flowers
Sometimes juvi males ‘catfish’ the male for his loot.
who can argue against creation after viewing the pattern of the overboard.....
bowerbird
9gag! LOL
dude you try to hard, should of hit it when you had the chance then not call her for a week... she'll be moving in before you know it
so much work for the atenttion of girls :/ poor thing, no wonder hoooooow long it could take to make that without hand do