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23

Western Bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus [Chlamydera] guttata) Alternate name(s): "Guttated Bowerbird" Size: 25-29 cm Weight: 120-150 g

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Similar species

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description Western Bowerbirds are small bowerbirds. They have a cryptic plumage. They have a dark-brown chest, sides and flanks scalloped with lighter-brown chevrons, and a fawn to buff belly and vent. The head is brown, streaked with near-black grey-brown. From the nape of the neck down, except for a pink nuchal crest, the rest of the back is near-black dark-brown, spotted copiously with brown specks. The wing and tail feathers all have brown ends. The only difference between the two sexes is that male Western Bowerbirds have larger (and broader) nuchal crests than females. Males, when excited, can fan out the crest, which will then not be erected upwards, but fan out sideways, rendering a pink and purple fringe visible behind its eyes, as seen from the front. The eyes have brown irises. The strong bill is dark-grey; the legs and feet are also dark-grey. Juveniles do not have a crest yet. Twitcher's tip Compared with Spotted Bowerbirds, they have richer colours.

Taxonomy, classification See Western 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 based on sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Western Bowerbird is available HERE . There are two races of Western Bowerbirds, both of which are endemic to Australia. Nominate race "guttata" is found in the southern NT (including Alice Springs), except the south-eastern corner of the state, from just North of the tropic of Capricorn to just south of the border with SA and with a small extension into central eastern WA. They also occupy large parts of the interior of WA, including basically the catchments of the Fitzroy, Yannarie and Gascoyne Rivers and extending further South, to about Wanjarri NP, WA. South of Carnarvon, WA, and Kennedy NP they are found only inland, to the East of the geographic longitude of Murchison, WA. Race "carteri" is only found on the North West Cape in WA. Western Bowerbirds can be found in arid, open woodland.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "guttata" M. Mearns reports seeing Western Bowerbirds, race "guttata", at Gosses Bluff, Tnorala Conservation Reserve, NT, in July 2005. M. and J. Leculier report seeing Western Bowerbirds, race "guttata", in the township of Alice Springs, NT, in July 2006. At the time there were two birds with bowers very close to each other. F. Bongers reports spotting a Western Bowerbird, race "guttata", in its bower, also in the township of Alice Springs, in October 2011. J. Greaves reports finding Western Bowerbirds, race "guttata", at Boolardy Station, Murchison, WA, in August 2016.

Photos

Race "guttata"

ADULT

MALE

Close-up frontal portrait of an adult Western Bowerbird (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Boolardy Station, Murchison, WA, August 2016]

Close-up frontal view of an adult male Western Bowerbird (photo courtesy of F. Bongers)
[Alice Springs, NT, October 2011]

Close-up view of the same male Western Bowerbird as shown above, now with its head turned (photo courtesy of F. Bongers); note the purple lining of the pink nuchal crest - something one will only see when getting very close; Spotted Bowerbirds have the same purple lining of their crests
[Alice Springs, NT, October 2011]

Close-up near-lateral portrait of an adult Western Bowerbird (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Boolardy Station, Murchison, WA, August 2016]

Close-up near-lateral view of an adult Western Bowerbird (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Boolardy Station, Murchison, WA, August 2016]

Near-frontal view of a Western Bowerbird (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Gosses Bluff, Tnorala Conservation Reserve, NT, July 2005]

Near-lateral view of a Western Bowerbird on the ground, with a clear view of its nuchal crest (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Gosses Bluff, Tnorala Conservation Reserve, NT, July 2005]

Lateral view of a Western Bowerbird, with a clear view of its nuchal crest (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Gosses Bluff, Tnorala Conservation Reserve, NT, July 2005]

Breeding information

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.

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary/roaming

Elementary unit: Solitary

Male birds are sedentary, females are roaming.

Bowers

Male Western Bowerbirds try to attract as many females to their territory, and thus their bower, as they can. The photos below show that Western Bowerbirds appear to prefer having their bowers in more open surroundings than their eastern cousins, the Spotted Bowerbirds, whose bowers are usually found under trees with low branches, such as e.g. Wilga trees.

Frontal view of a bower with trinkets (photo courtesy of F. Bongers)
[Alice Springs, NT, October 2011]

Lateral view of a bower with trinkets (photo courtesy of F. Bongers)

Bower with trinkets (photo courtesy of M. and J. Leculier)
[Alice Springs, NT, July 2006]

Here a different bower, with its owner seen in the background (photo courtesy of M. and J. Leculier)
[Alice Springs, NT, July 2006]

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.

westbow_jg_20160806_1.m4a	(Ctl WA)	?	© JG
westbow_jg_20160806_2.m4a	(Ctl WA)	?	© JG

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.

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