I recently commented on some repeated observations of green Satin Bowerbirds near my home. The observations seem to centre on a particular bush in a neighbour’s garden and included vocalisations including churring.
Today, the activity stepped up and attracted my investigations. There was a noisy bowerbird nearby to the bush in question. Then strenuous calling, singing and churring started up from the bush. I went and looked and saw two bowerbirds,
separate from the first. So I had three – all green.
One bird (male?) was doing the calling under the bush while another (female?) sat just outside looking very interestedly at the bush. She(?) was so intensely observing the bush in a crouched position that I was able to position myself barely
1.5 metres from her. When I tried to look into the bush to see what was going on, the birds flushed. So I took the opportunity to get right under the bush. To my surprise, there was no bower, no signs of bower-building or materials for a bower or cleared
ground for a platform – with the exception of a single blue spring peg.
So I am left quite uncertain as to what is going on. My guess is that the singing bird is an immature male putting on a show for practice and is attracting curious females – even without any semblance of a bower.
Anyone got ideas about this behaviour? I have seen green SBBs putting on a show before but with some makeshift bower and decoraions included – possibly a leftover from an earlier season.
David Rosalky
