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23

Western Bowerbird

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

Similar
species

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

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Western Bowerbird at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "guttata"

ADULT

MALE

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

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

Frontal view of a male Western Bowerbird (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Botanical Gardens, Alice Springs, NT, July 2018]

Close-up frontal view of a male Western Bowerbird with its head turned
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Alice Springs, NT, October 2022]

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

Close-up view of a male Western Bowerbird with its head turned - 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
(photo courtesy of F. Bongers)
[Alice Springs, NT, October 2011]

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

Lateral view of a male Western Bowerbird (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Botanical Gardens, Alice Springs, NT, July 2018]

Close-up near-dorsal view of a male Western Bowerbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Alice Springs, NT, October 2022]

Dorsal view of a male Western Bowerbird, with a clear view of its large nuchal crest (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Botanical Gardens, Alice Springs, NT, July 2018]

FEMALE

Close-up near-lateral view of a female Western Bowerbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Alice Springs, NT, October 2022]

Close-up lateral view of a female Western Bowerbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Alice Springs, NT, October 2022]

Close-up lateral view of a female Western Bowerbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Alice Springs, NT, October 2022]

Lateral view of a female Western Bowerbird; this bird was seen near a bower, with a confirmed male (photos shown above) sitting in a nearby shrub (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Botanical Gardens, Alice Springs, NT, July 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a female Western Bowerbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Alice Springs, NT, October 2022]

Close-up near-dorsal view of a female Western Bowerbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Alice Springs, NT, October 2022]

Sex unknown

Near-frontal/ventral 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 small nuchal crest
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Gosses Bluff, Tnorala Conservation Reserve, NT, July 2005]

Close-up lateral view of a Western Bowerbird looking at the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Alice Springs, NT, October 2022]

Close-up lateral view of a Western Bowerbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Alice Springs, NT, October 2022]

Lateral view of a Western Bowerbird, with a clear view of its small 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 shrubs.

Frontal view of a bower with trinkets (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Jessie Gap, Alice Springs, NT, October 2022]

Frontal view of a male Western Bowerbird at its bower (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Alice Springs, NT, October 2022]

Frontal view of a male Western Bowerbird inspecting his creation (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Alice Springs, NT, October 2022]

Close-up near-frontal view of a male Western Bowerbird rearranging trinkets around its bower
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Alice Springs, NT, October 2022]

Close-up lateral view of a Western Bowerbird at its bower; as long as the bird looks towards the observer, one cannot determine the sex (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Alice Springs, NT, October 2022]

Close-up lateral view of a Western Bowerbird at its bower; only when the head is turned, one can see the male's large pink nuchal crest (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Alice Springs, NT, October 2022]

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]

Food, Diet

Frontal view of a Western Bowerbird checking out the fruit of a shrub (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Alice Springs, NT, October 2022]

Lateral view of a Western Bowerbird taking a fruit (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Alice Springs, NT, October 2022]

Lateral view of a Western Bowerbird taking parts of a flower (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Alice Springs, NT, October 2022]

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
westbow_me_20221018_2.mp3 (Ctl NT) ? © ME
westbow_me_20221018.mp3 (Ctl NT) ? © ME

More Western 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.