Tag Archives: Bowerbirds

Great Bowerbird (Chlamydera nuchalis)

Posted on by
Reply

The Great Bowerbird’s (Chlamydera nuchalis)  favoured habitat is a broad range of forest and woodland, and the margins of vine forests, monsoon forest, and mangrove swamps.

As with most members of the bowerbird family, breeding considerations dominate the lifecycle: females nest inconspicuously and raise their young alone, while the males spend most of the year building, maintaining, improving, defending, and above all displaying from their bowers. Only a male with a successful bower can attract mates.  Spend some time watching them decorate, they are so much fun to watch!

They are a common and conspicuous resident of northern Australia, from the area around Broome across the Top End to Cape York Peninsula and as far south as Mount Isa.  I got my best views in Katherine near the museum and at the Lazy Lizard Caravan Park but I pretty much saw them everywhere!

LEARN MORE ABOUT GREAT BOWERBIRDS

Wikipedia

Birdlife

Experience the Wild

Australian Geographic

VIDEOS

Here’s just a few examples of why the Bowerbirds are so much fun to watch!  They dance, decorate, romance and more!

 

Satin Bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus)

Posted on by

Elizabeth Taylor would have been jealous of these eyes!  The Satin Bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus) is a bowerbird endemic to eastern Australia.

IMG_9159 IMG_9103aFemale Satin Bowerbird

IMG_9163a

You can find them in Eastern Australia, check with local birders and eBird as the bowers are usually well known.  Girraween (blue dot) has an easy-to-find bower near the toilet block.  If they are thirsty, they will let you know by sitting on the water fountain and looking at you expectantly.  Once you find a bower, don’t just tick your list and move on, these birds are very entertaining so sit down and watch them for awhile!

SB rangeLEARN MORE ABOUT SATIN BOWERBIRDS

Wikipedia

Birdlife

Birdlife Australia

Birds in Backyards

NSW Environment & Heritage

ABC Science

 

VIDEOS

Building a bower.

Robbing humans to woo his fair lady.  Not sure if it was the toothbrush, the car keys, the house, the tenner or his dance show but she finally gives in!

 

Birding Bowra Part 2 – Pond & Homestead Area

Posted on by

There are some great places to see birds just a few steps from the shearers cabin at Bowra Station.  Getting up at dawn, bringing a chair outside and watching the birds wake up is very rewarding!

IMG_8366

Black-winged Stilts are very common here.

IMG_8373

White-breasted Woodswallows

IMG_8377a

Black-fronted Dotterel

IMG_8385a

Another stilt

IMG_8594

Red-winged Parrot

IMG_8596

Rainbow Bee-eater

IMG_8608a IMG_8616a

Spoonbill

IMG_8669 IMG_8673 IMG_8676

Red-rumped Parrot

IMG_8683a IMG_8685a

Spotted Bowerbird with Bower

IMG_8792 IMG_8791 IMG_8793a

Kangaroos

IMG_8824

Paddy Melons – food for hungry parrots

IMG_8831

We’ve all seen pet Budgies but nothing beats seeing them in the wild!  They have nests in the trees near the homestead.

IMG_8785a IMG_8781a IMG_8530a

Red-rump Parrot

IMG_8511aDiamond Dove

IMG_8536a

Red-winged Parrot

IMG_8490a

More Budgies

IMG_8489a IMG_8482a IMG_8473a IMG_8456a IMG_8440a IMG_8437a

Beautiful Red-winged Parrot posing nicely

IMG_8396a

Red-rumps are usually in the trees around the pond

IMG_8386a

The 10 Sexiest Male Birds

Posted on by
Reply

The BBC brings us this list of stunning birds who really know how to impress the chicks!  I’ve only seen one in person, the Satin Bowerbird in Girraween NP.   He was quite happy to take a blue bottle cap to impress his paramour!  With those brilliant purple eyes, he’s pretty impressive already!

IMG_9110aCheck out the full list and see how many YOU have seen!

My Top Thirty Bird Sightings Of 2014

Posted on by
1

Most other years this would be a top ten, but with 3 major birding trips this year I am struggling to make it a top thirty!  If you want to see last year’s birds click here.   There is no way I could single out one top bird with so many to choose from so they are being presented in chronological order.  I haven’t finished blogging the Queensland road trip or the African Adventure so I have to cheat a bit with the photos.  They are my photos but just pasted in.

1.  Carnaby’s Cockatoo – seen at several places in Western Australia, Feb 2014.

.

2.  Western Rosella – seen at Dryandra and Stirling Range in Western Australia, Feb 2014

.

3.  Purple-crowned Lorikeet – seen near Fitzgerald National Park, Western Australia, Feb 2014

.

4.  Western Bowerbird – seen at Nallan Station, Western Australia, Feb 2014

.

5.  Splendid Fairy-wren – seen at Yanchep, Western Australia, Feb 2014

.

6.  Orange-bellied Parrot – seen at Melaleuca, Tasmania, March 2014

.

7.  Eastern Ground Parrot – seen at Melaleuca, Tasmania, March 2014

.

8.  Swift Parrot – seen on Bruny Island, Tasmania, March 2014

.

9.  Major Mitchell Cockatoo – seen at Bowra Station, QLD, March 2014

.

10.  Cockatiels – seen at Bowra Station, QLD, March 2014

.

11.  Satin Bowerbird – seen at Girraween, QLD, March 2014

.

12.  Ultramarine Lorikeet – seen on Ua Huka, Marquesas, French Polynesia, June 2014

.

13. Rimatara Lorikeet – seen on Rimatara, French Polynesia, June 2014

.

14.  Cape Parrot – seen in King William’s Town and Magoebaskloof, South Africa, Nov 2014

.

15.  Lilac-breasted Roller – seen in Kruger Park, South Africa, Nov 2014

.

16.  Echo Parakeet – seen at Black River Gorges, Mauritius, Nov 2014

.

17.  Vasa Parrots – seen at Ankarafantsika, Madagascar, Nov 2014

.

18.  Schlegel’s Asity – seen at Ankarafantsika, Madagascar, Nov 2014

.

19.  Hoopoe – seen at Ankarafantsika, Madagascar, Nov 2014

.

20.  Paradise Flycatcher – seen in Kakum National Park, Ghana Nov 2014

.

21.  Red Malimbe – seen in Kakum National Park, Ghana Nov 2014

.

22.  African Grey Parrot – seen (fleeting glimpse) in Kakum National Park, Ghana Nov 2014

Didn’t click fast enough!

23.  Senegal Parrot – seen in Shai Hills, Ghana Nov 2014

.

24.  Tacazze Sunbird – seen at Addis Ababa Hilton, Ethiopia, Nov 2014

.

25.  African Red-bellied Parrot – seen at Tarangire, Tanzania, Nov 2014

.

26.  Cordon Bleu Waxbill – seen at Tarangire, Tanzania, Nov 2014

.

27.  Meyer’s Parrot (Brown Parrot) – seen at Tarangire, Tanzania, Nov 2014

.

28.  Red-and-yellow Barbet – seen at Tarangire, Tanzania, Nov 2014

.

29.  Superb Starling – seen all over Tanzania, Nov 2014

.

30.  Lovebirds – seen in Madagascar (Grey-headed), Tarangire (Yellow-collared) and Ndutu (Fischer’s).  Just couldn’t choose between them!  Nov 2014

.

These aren’t necessarily the rarest birds but they were birds that made a major impression on me.  Maybe for their rarity, maybe for their beauty or maybe for their behaviour! Apologies for not having profiles up on about half the birds but I still have a lot more to blog about!

Bowerbirds: The Art Of Seduction

Posted on by
Reply

Nothing beats a David Attenborough documentary to bring exotic birds up close and personal……………..except of course going there to see them in person!   I did this in both West Papua and West Australia, but I can’t shoot video to save my soul so we are lucky Mr Attenborough does these amazing docos!

Australians click on the image to watch online.

Click here to view on Australia’s Channel 10.

If the link above expires or you can’t view Australian based videos, then try this link.