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23

Satin Bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus) Alternate name(s): "Satin-bird" Aboriginal name(s): "jirguluhm", "wamban" [bundjalung]; "guda-balumbaa", "warrgandala" [ngadjon]; "loRitj" [tjapwurrung] Size: 28-34 cm Weight: 160-270 g

Australia: Family Group 23 Family Group 23 Table Paradise Riflebird Victoria's Riflebird Magnificent Riflebird Trumpet Manucode Australian Raven Forest Raven Little Raven Little Crow Torresian Crow White-winged Chough Apostlebird Green Catbird Spotted Catbird Golden Bowerbird Regent Bowerbird Satin Bowerbird Tooth-billed Bowerbird Spotted Bowerbird Western Bowerbird Fawn-breasted Bowerbird Great Bowerbird Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Satin Bowerbirds are medium-sized bowerbirds. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are different. Male Satin Bowerbirds are all glossy blue-black. The eyes have blue to purple irises; the almost straight bill is yellowish, with a bluish base. The legs and feet are the colour of skin. Female Satin Bowerbirds have a highly crypic plumage. The front is light-green and buff, with copious dark-brown scalloping. The ear coverts and lores are rufous, with darker streaking. The frons and crown are dark-brown with a light-green tinge. The back, i.e. mantle, shoulders and rump, is light-green to turquoise, with faint brown scalloping. The flight feathers and tail are brown. Females have eyes with blue irises similar to those of the males, but they have a dark-grey bill and grey legs and feet. Juveniles and immature birds resemble females until the fourth year. Immature males take another 3 years to moult gradually into their first adult plumage.

Taxonomy, classification See Satin Bowerbird at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Satin Bowerbird is available HERE . Satin Bowerbirds are endemic to Australia. They are found along the East and South-East coast of the Australian continent. The range of nominate race "violaceus" extends from near Melbourne, VIC, along the South and East coast and the Great Dividing Range, through all of NSW. To the North of the Clarence River in northern NSW, they are not found on the coast, but only the eastern slopes of the ranges, up to just South of Rockhampton, QLD. Race "minor" is found on the tablelands around Cairns, QLD, from about Daintree NP to Wooroonooran NP. Satin Bowerbirds can be found in and around forest, including wet, tall forest, but sometimes also in dry dense forest

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "violaceus" We have spotted Satin Bowerbirds, race "violaceus", in various locations on the eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range in NSW, such as e.g. Dorrigo NP, NSW. They were also seen in Bald Rock NP and also in littoral rainforest, e.g. at Iluka NR. Large numbers of Satin Bowerbirds, race "violaceus", were seen in July 2009 at Dandabah, Bunya Mountains NP, QLD. This loaction is on the western edge of, if not outside, the species' general range. R. Druce reports spotting Satin Bowerbirds, race "violaceus", in Tenterfield, northern NSW, in February 2013. K. Davison reports sighting Satin Bowerbirds, race "violaceus", in Glen Iris, suburban Melbourne, VIC, in May 2013. Various contributors report spotting Satin Bowerbirds, race "violaceus", regularly at O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, Gold Coast, QLD and in other locations in south-eastern QLD. B. Hensen reports spotting Satin Bowerbirds, race "violaceus", at St. Albans, NSW, e.g. in December 2013. R. Plumtree has found Satin Bowerbirds, race "violaceus", near Kyogle, northern NSW, in July 2013. They are also spotted occasionally around Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC. E. Scott reports finding Satin Bowerbirds, race "violaceus", breeding in the Roseberry Creek Valley, near Toonumbar NP, northern NSW, in January 2017. We have not seen a Satin Bowerbird where we live, at Eulah Creek, 20 km East of Narrabri, NSW, but some locals who have lived in the area for a long time report having seen Satin Bowerbirds, including males with bowers, in the Eulah Creek and Bullawa Creek area in the past.

Photos

Race "violaceus"

Not the photos you want? Or are you after even better quality? Have a look here .

ADULT

MALE

Full-frontal view of an adult male Satin Bowerbird (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Lamington NP, QLD, November 2013]

Frontal view of a male Satin Bowerbird looking sideways (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Lamington NP, QLD, November 2020]

Near-frontal view of a male Satin Bowerbird looking sideways
[Bald Rock NP, NSW, October 2007]

Close-up near-lateral view of a male Satin Bowerbird (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Queen Mary Falls, near Killarney, QLD, October 2015]

Near-lateral view of a male Satin Bowerbird
[Bald Rock NP, NSW, October 2007]

Close-up near-lateral portrait of a male Satin Bowerbird (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Alpine NP, VIC, October 2018]

Close-up lateral portrait of a male Satin Bowerbird (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Old Gap Road, Swifts Creek North, East Gippsland, VIC, October 2017]

Close-up lateral portrait of a male Satin Bowerbird (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Alpine NP, VIC, October 2018]

Lateral view of a male Satin Bowerbird in its bower
[Dorrigo, NSW, 2005]

Dorsal view of a male Satin Bowerbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Queen Mary Falls, near Killarney, QLD, June 2017]

FEMALE

Direct comparison of the heads of an immature male Satin Bowerbird, left, and a female, right; apart from the different behaviour (the male carrying the stick for its bower) the major difference is the colour of the bill and the colour of the iris, which in the male is starting to turn towards purple (photos courtesy of R. Plumtree)

Near-frontal view of a female Satin Bowerbird looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Lamington NP, QLD, November 2020]

Close-up near-frontal portrait of a female Satin Bowerbird (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Tenterfield, NSW, February 2013]

Close-up near-frontal view of a female Satin Bowerbird (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Queen Mary Falls, near Killarney, QLD, October 2015]

Close-up near-frontal view of a female Satin Bowerbird; note the characteristic dark bill (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[South Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, April 2014]

Close-up near-frontal/ventral view of a female Satin Bowerbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Queen Mary Falls, near Killarney, QLD, June 2017]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a female Satin Bowerbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Queen Mary Falls, near Killarney, QLD, July 2019]

Near-lateral view of a female Satin Bowerbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Queen Mary Falls, near Killarney, QLD, July 2019]

Near-lateral view of a female Satin Bowerbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Queen Mary Falls, near Killarney, QLD, July 2019]

Lateral view of a female Satin Bowerbird (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Alpine NP, VIC, October 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a female Satin Bowerbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Queen Mary Falls, near Killarney, QLD, July 2019]

Dorsal view of a female Satin Bowerbird in bad light on a rainy day; this bird was seen taking the seeds of a birch (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Tenterfield, NSW, February 2013]

Female Satin Bowerbird in flight, displaying its underwing pattern (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Tenterfield, NSW, February 2013]

Female Satin Bowerbird, left, with food (possibly a piece of an apple) for a dependent juvenile (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Tenterfield, NSW, February 2013]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

There is a separate page on an immature male Satin Bowerbird working on its bower.

Male Satin Bowerbirds take 6-7 years to reach maturity.

Ca. 3-5 year old male Satin Bowerbird moulting into adult plumage (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Katoomba, NSW, January 2014]

Direct comparison of the heads of an immature male Satin Bowerbird, left, and a female, right; apart from the different behaviour (the male carrying the stick for its bower) the major difference is the colour of the bill and the colour of the iris, which in the male is starting to turn towards purple (photos courtesy of R. Plumtree)

Frontal view of an immature, second-year(?) male Satin Bowerbird (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Alpine NP, VIC, October 2018]

Lateral view of an immature Satin Bowerbird - note the light-coloured bill
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Mt. Tamborine, QLD, December 2013]

Female Satin Bowerbird feeding a dependent young (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, March 2017]

Lateral view of a fledgling Satin Bowerbird (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, December 2013]

Fronal view of a female Satin Bowerbird bringing food for her fledgling chick (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, December 2013]

The same two Satin Bowerbirds as shown above (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, December 2013]

Breeding information

Satin Bowerbirds can interbreed with Regent Bowerbirds. The offspring of such pairs are called "Rawnsley's Bowerbirds".

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.

Breeding season: Oct - Feb

Eggs: 2 - 3

Incubation period: 21 - 22 days

Fledging age: ca. 21 days

Nest building: Female

Incubation: Female

Dependent care: Female

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Basket

Material: Sticks, dry leaves

Height above ground: 1 - 30 m

Adventurous Satin Bowerbird chick outside its nest (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, December 2017]

Female Satin Bowerbird on its nest (photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Roseberry Creek Valley, near Toonumbar NP, northern NSW, January 2017]

Female Satin Bowerbird on its nest (photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Roseberry Creek Valley, near Toonumbar NP, northern NSW, December 2017]

Female Satin Bowerbird collecting nesting material, probably for lining the nest (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Mt. Tamborine, QLD, December 2013]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 44 x 30 mm

Colour: Creamy, with light- to mid-brown speckles

Shape: Elliptical

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary/roaming

Elementary unit: Solitary

Male Satin Bowerbirds are sedentary, females are roaming.

The male Bowerbird builds a bower from twigs that it finds on the ground and tries to lure the female into its lair with its wooing display.

Richly adorned bower of a male Satin Bowerbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Queen Mary Falls, near Killarney, QLD, June 2017]

Frontal view of a male Satin Bowerbird in its bower (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Queen Mary Falls, near Killarney, QLD, June 2017]

Male Satin Bowerbird in its bower with a new trinket; where to bring it - left? (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Queen Mary Falls, near Killarney, QLD, July 2019]

... or right? (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Queen Mary Falls, near Killarney, QLD, July 2019]

Here the above Satin Bowerbird's bower (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Queen Mary Falls, near Killarney, QLD, July 2019]

Here a Satin Bowerbird's bower in more open surroundings, in a bed for ornamental flowers
[O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, Gold Coast, QLD, May 2014]

Far away from humans, it is harder for a male Satin Bowerbird to find suitable blue trinkets to decorate the bower
[Ferntree Gully Environmental Reserve, near Rylstone, NSW, December 2016]

Far away from humans, it is harder for a male Satin Bowerbird to find suitable blue trinkets to decorate the bower
[Ferntree Gully Environmental Reserve, near Rylstone, NSW, December 2016]

Male Satin Bowerbird, the owner of the unadorned bower shown above, waiting for "customers"; this is the bird whose calls were recorded on 17 December 2016
[Ferntree Gully Environmental Reserve, near Rylstone, NSW, December 2016]

Male Satin Bowerbird with a shell, possibly for its bower (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Alpine NP, VIC, October 2018]

Food, Diet

We have seen Satin Bowerbirds take grass, seeds and fruit.

Frontal view of a male Satin Bowerbirds with a fruit (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Near Kyogle, NSW, July 2013]

One of many Satin Bowerbirds feeding on grass on the lawn of a campground
[Bunya Mountains NP, QLD, July 2009]

Female Satin Bowerbirds feeding in grassland; the bird on the left is displaying its dorsal plumage in flight (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, August 2012]

Female Satin Bowerbird hollowing out an apple (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Tenterfield, NSW, February 2013]

Dorsal view of a female Satin Bowerbird in bad light on a rainy day; this bird was seen taking the seeds of a birch (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Tenterfield, NSW, February 2013]

This female Satin Bowerbird has developed a taste for commercial budgerigar seed mix (photo courtesy of K. Davison)
[Glen Iris, Melbourne, VIC, May 2013]

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.

satbowr_20160311_4.mp3	(NE NSW)	Contact calls?	© MD
satbowr_20160311_5.mp3	(NE NSW)	Contact calls?	© MD
satbowr_20161217.mp3	(Ctl NSW)	Male near bower	© MD
satbowr_20160311.m4a	(S QLD)	Male near bower	© MD
satbowr_20231005.m4a	(Ctl NSW)	? (Male)	© MD
satbowr_20161217_2.m4a	(Ctl NSW)	? (Male)	© MD
satbowr_20160311_2.m4a	(S QLD)	?	© MD
satbowr_20150328_1.m4a	(NE NSW)	?	© MD

More Satin Bowerbird sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.

Disclaimer: Comments are always welcome. We give no guarantee that the information presented on these pages is always correct or up-to-date. External links are marked as such and we take no responsibility for the contents of external pages. All images on this site are protected by copyright & used by permission of the respective owners. If you wish to reproduce them or any of the material presented on this web site, please contact us: We hereby acknowledge the original custodians of the land which is described on these pages, including the Gomeroi/Gamilaraay people of the North-west Slopes and Plains of NSW, and the traditional owners of other lands and nations within this country. We acknowledge elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.          Last updated: Tue, 21 November 2023, 3:15 +00:00