Well I too have never seen one so brown or so far out in the open and I too have found it hard to pick a young SBB, except for the rare observations of seeing
them clearly dependent. But I have very little experience of them other than in Canberra. This is at in Moruya Heads, maybe conditions are different there and they fledge a little earlier than here. Or at least this one appears to have done. That it is perched
on a house fence or rail sort of suggests there may well be some human influence in it being where it is. Maybe it had been found as a nestling and part hand raised, at that house or another nearby.
Philip
From: Canberrabirds [
On Behalf Of
Sent: Tuesday, 12 January, 2021 1:15 PM
To: 'Dr David Rosalky'; 'COG bird list'
Subject: Re: [Canberrabirds] Bowerbird fledgling?
Thank you David, while I agree with Philip and you Philip, I’ve never seen one so brown or so far out in the open.
I have seen a few Satin Bowerbird (SBB) fledglings over the years, usually in my GBS site, but have always found it very difficult to separate them from the adult female(s) present. Often they are a bit duller, but I usually have to be
very patient and wait for them to be fed before I can be sure, as their begging is usually very quiet. I’ve always dubbed them as very “surreptitious breeders” probably because the females has to do it all on her own while the male remains at the bower trying
to attract other partners.
Jack Holland
From: Canberrabirds <>
On Behalf Of Dr David Rosalky
Sent: Monday, 11 January 2021 12:41 PM
To: COG bird list <>
Subject: [Canberrabirds] Bowerbird fledgling?
A friend living in Moruya Heads sent me this photo for ID.
My guess is that it is a newly fledged Satin Bowerbird. I have never seen one so young and none of my books, including HANZAB shows a chick as opposed to a juvenile bird.
You can see some olive green on the upper back and the head/bill shape is characteristic. The dots on the wing are somewhat more prominent than the juvenile.
Interestingly, the bird still displays a gape. So, it may be within 3 weeks of fledging. HANZAB has a detailed description of plumage but I found it difficult to correlate with what I see in the photo.
Can someone more familiar than I verify the ID for me please?
David R
