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Great BowerbirdAlternate name(s): "Queensland Bowerbird", "Great Grey Bowerbird" Size: 33-38 cm Weight: 165-240 g |
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Photos |
Race "nuchalis"
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ADULT |
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MALE |
Near-frontal view of a male Great Bowerbird
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]
Near-frontal view of a male Great Bowerbird displaying
its nuchal crest
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Keep River NP, NT, November 2018]
Near-dorsal/ventral view of a male Great Bowerbird displaying
its nuchal crest
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Keep River NP, NT, November 2018]
Near-dorsal view of a male Great Bowerbird
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]
Near-dorsal/ventral view of a male Great Bowerbird displaying
its nuchal crest
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Keep River NP, NT, November 2018]
Dorsal view of a male Great Bowerbird outside its bower
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Darwin, NT, August 2013]
Close-up view of a male Great Bowerbird's nuchal crest (photo
courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Darwin, NT, August 2013]
Male Great Bowerbird working on its bower; while not in display
posture, the bird's nuchal crest is well-hidden
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]
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FEMALE |
Frontal view of a female Great Bowerbird with a fruit,
possibly a native
fig
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]
Near-lateral view of a female Great Bowerbird; note how much
paler this bird is compared to the males shown above
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]
Lateral view of a female Great Bowerbird
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Katherine, NT, July 2020]
Lateral view of a female Great Bowerbird
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]
Near-dorsal view of a female Great Bowerbird with a fruit,
possibly a native
fig
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]
Dorsal view of a female Great Bowerbird
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]
Dorsal view of a female Great Bowerbird inspecting fruit
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, July 2019]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Frontal view of a Great Bowerbird; the bird's prominent yellow-orange
gape indicates that it is probably a juvenile
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Broome Bird Observatory, Broome, WA, April 2015]
Close-up near-lateral/ventral view of a juvenile(?) Great Bowerbird
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Pine Creek, NT, January 2020]
Lateral view of a Great Bowerbird; the remnant pale gape indicates
that it is probably a juvenile bird - it seems to be scavenging
(or collecting trinkets?) from the local rubbish tip
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Maxwell Creek, Melville Island, off Darwin, NT, November 2016]
Close-up near-dorsal/ventral view of a juvenile(?) Great Bowerbird
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Pine Creek, NT, January 2020]
Race "orientalis"
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ADULT |
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MALE |
Close-up near-frontal view of a male Great Bowerbird
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, December 2020]
Near-lateral view of a male Great Bowerbird
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, July 2018]
Lateral view of a male Great Bowerbird
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, July 2018]
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FEMALE |
Close-up lateral view of a female Great Bowerbird
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, December 2020]
Near-dorsal view of a female Great Bowerbird
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, September 2019]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Frontal view of a juvenile Great Bowerbird; note the orange gape
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Musgrave Roadhouse, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]
Juvenile Great Bowerbird learning how to open a seed pod;
again note the orange gape (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Musgrave Roadhouse, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]
Lateral/ventral view of a juvenile Great Bowerbird
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Musgrave Roadhouse, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]
Dorsal view of a juvenile Great Bowerbird
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Musgrave Roadhouse, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]
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Breeding information |
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Twitcher's tip |
A bower is NOT a nest - it is a male bird's courting alley. Nests, built by female birds, are in fact kept well away from bowers.
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Behaviour |
Social behaviour: Territorial | Mobility: Sedentary/roaming | Elementary unit: Solitary |
Male birds are sedentary, females are roaming.
Bowers
Male Great Bowerbirds try to attract as many females to their territory, and thus their bower, as they can.
View through the alley of a Great Bowerbird's bower
[Lake Copperfield, Pine Creek, NT, August 2014]
As opposed to the bowers of other species of bowerbird (e.g. ), which are all open at the top, a Great
Bowerbird's bower can be completely covered by a dome
[Lake Copperfield, Pine Creek, NT, August 2014]
Male Great Bowerbird re-arranging trinkets outside its bower;
note the female inside the bower, inspecting it
(photo courtesy
of B. Hensen)
[Darwin, NT, August 2013]
Bower of a male Great Bowerbird (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, September 2019]
Great Bowerbird's bower
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]
Abandoned Great Bowerbird bower
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]
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Food, Diet |
Frontal view of a Great Bowerbird with a native
fig
(photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, June 2007]
Frontal view of a female Great Bowerbird with a fruit,
possibly a native
fig
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]
Yeah... there are always those who can do better!
Lateral view of a Great Bowerbird with two native
figs
(photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, March 2011]
Close-up near-lateral view of a male Great Bowerbird dispatching a cicada
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, December 2020]
Near-dorsal view of a female Great Bowerbird with a fruit,
possibly a native
fig
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]
Dorsal view of a female Great Bowerbird feeding on fruit
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, July 2019]
Ventral view of a Great Bowerbird with a fruit
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, September 2018]
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Call(s)/Song |
For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own;
comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.
grtbowr_pb_20181118.m4a |
nuchalis (Inland NT) |
Hissing/grunting calls (other birds in foreground) |
© PB |
More Great Bowerbird sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.