Satin Bowerbird Update

[Alan Bond <>]

Thursday/Friday

Following the report below, there was been a reconstruction by a juvenile male. He then used the bower to court a couple of females throughout the rest of Thursday. However late on Thursday afternoon the fully mature male returned and made another teardown .

 The younger male spent all Friday morning on a rebuild with the help of a couple of females.

The fully mature male has just turned up (late Friday pm) and spruced up the younger ones's effort. The mature male is now happily dancing and courting the females and tolerating the young male as if nothing had happened.

Wednesday

We live near the Gleneagles Golf course and for the first time in late June, a male Satin Bowerbird decided to make a bower in our garden. It was situated right off our lounge room windows so we have had a wonderful time watching the goings on. He had the regular company of 4-5 females and 2-3 immature males (white beaks). He was very tolerant of the immature males who were allowed to assist and make minor additions to the bower under his close supervision (teaching them the trade?).

In the last couple of weeks, action has picked up with a few favourite females being danced to and presented with his collected treasures. All the junior males have been tolerated while they practice the dances and entice others into the bower corridor.

Yesterday however, he was absent all day till about 4.00pm. He then turned up to see the usual activity by the rest of the group. All of a sudden he swooped down to the bower and started destroying it. He was pulling bits out and really flinging them away. All that is left now are the blue “treasures” and the dance floor. It was definitely the same male. I have not seen him today and the bower is as he left it. I know you should not ascribe human traits to animals but there was no doubting his anger while ripping apart all his hard work over the previous months.

 Interesting .......

Terry and Mary Lovett

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