Western bowerbird facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Western bowerbird |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Chlamydera
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| Species: |
guttata
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| Synonyms | |
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Chlamydodera guttata |
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The western bowerbird (Chlamydera guttata) is a special type of bird found only in Australia. It belongs to the family called Ptilonorhynchidae. This bird lives in two separate areas of Australia: Central Australia and the Pilbara region of Western Australia. When an animal lives only in one specific place, it's called an endemic species.
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About the Western Bowerbird
The western bowerbird is smaller than another bowerbird found in the same areas, the great bowerbird. It grows to be about 24 to 28 centimeters (around 9 to 11 inches) long. These birds usually weigh between 120 and 150 grams (about 4 to 5 ounces). Both male and female western bowerbirds are similar in size. However, the female's tail is a little bit longer.
What Does It Look Like?
The western bowerbird has brown plumage (feathers). It has reddish or buff-colored spots on its throat, chest, neck, back, head, and wings. A cool feature is its pink, feathery crest on the back of its neck. This crest can stand up! Its tail is brown, and its belly is a buff color. Female birds look much like males but have more spots on their throats.
What Does It Eat?
Western bowerbirds love to eat fruits. Some of their favorite fruits come from the rock fig (Ficus platypoda), sandalwood, and snake gourd (Trichosanthes cucumerina) plants. They also enjoy eating mistletoe berries. Sometimes, they visit farms to snack on cultivated fruits. Besides fruits, their diet includes nectar, flowers, and insects like ants, moths, beetles, and grasshoppers. They also eat spiders. These birds need to drink water often, so you'll usually find them close to a water source.
Bowerbird Behavior and Reproduction
Like most bowerbirds, the male western bowerbird will mate with several females during the breeding season. The female bird does all the work of building the nest, hatching the eggs, and raising the chicks by herself.
Building a Bower
Male bowerbirds are famous for building special structures called bowers. They build these bowers to attract females. A western bowerbird's bower is made of two parallel walls of sticks. These walls are about 20 to 25 centimeters (8 to 10 inches) tall and 25 to 35 centimeters (10 to 14 inches) long. They are built on a platform of sticks.
The male bird decorates his bower with green and white objects. These decorations can include berries, fruits, shells, pebbles, and bones. Sometimes, they even use human-made items like glass, old bullet casings, or metal pieces. A bower can be used for many years. If a male builds a new bower, he might move decorations from his old one.
Courtship Dance
The male bowerbird calls loudly to advertise his bower to females. When a female comes to check it out, the male performs a special dance. He fans his tail, jumps around, and flicks his wings. He also makes more calls. He might even hold decorations in his beak and shake them. During this dance, he will raise his pink crest on his neck to show it off.
Nesting and Eggs
After mating, the female builds the nest. It's a shallow cup made of small twigs, placed on a larger platform of sticks. She usually builds it about 2 to 6 meters (6 to 20 feet) high in a tree or shrub. Often, she chooses a clump of mistletoe to build her nest in.
A female western bowerbird usually lays one or two eggs. The eggs are green to buff in color and look shiny. They are covered in dark, scribbled patterns. Scientists don't know exactly how long the eggs take to hatch.
Images for kids
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A western bowerbird perched on a branch.
See also
In Spanish: Chlamydera guttata para niños
